Bye bye Bundesliga 2

Hertha BSC host Energie Cottbus on final day of the season.

Berlin - The Bundesliga 2 season began 41 weeks ago and 33 matchdays later, Hertha BSC are sitting pretty at the top of the table having been crowned champions, following a season of consistent form and a record breaking points tally. On Sunday (19.05.13, 13.30 CET) the capital city side host Energie Cottbus at the Olympic stadium in Berlin for the final game of the season which Hertha are more than keen to win.

“We are unbeaten at home this season and we want to keep it that way on Sunday", explained defensive battler Fabian Lustenberger this week. Should Hertha avoid defeat on Sunday they will set a new points record for the division after drawing level with the record held by Hannover 96 last weekend: "That aspect serves as extra motivation for us in our last game of the season", says head coach Jos Luhukay. The coach added: "My players will give their all for one final time to go down in history as promotion heroes."

Icing on the cake

Things are sure to be emotional after the final whistle has been blown on Sunday. Hertha will be presented with the "hub cap" - the Bundesliga 2 trophy nicknamed after the car part it resembles. Lustenberger: "Winning that trophy is the icing on the cake of what has been a fantastic season.”

Apart from Fabian Holland, who picked up a calf injury playing for the reserves against Magdeburg in midweek, Luhukay has a full strength squad to pick his starting eleven from. Skipper Peter Niemeyer is also back on board following his problem recovering from concussion suffered in the emphatic home win over second placed Eintracht Braunschweig several weeks ago. Luhukay: "He will play a part, but I am not quite sure exactly how."  Peter Pekarik and Ronny return to the team after suspension. One player who will be conspicuous by his absence will be USA international Alfredo Morales, who has turned down Hertha's offer of a contract extension and will not feature in Sunday's game. Other players who failed to make the squad are: Nico Schulz, Roman Hubnik, Hany Mukhtar, Felix Bastians, Marvin Knoll, Shervin Radjabali-Fardi and Philip Sprint.

Fond farewell

Cottbus travel to the capital city in confident mood, after recently beating Kaiserslautern and Sandhausen, and drawing against newly-promoted Eintracht Braunschweig. The Lausitz-based visitors are having nothing of the theory that the game is a dead rubber with nothing to play for: "It is a Berlin-Brandenburg derby and not a friendly", says their midfield general Marc-André Kruska. Hertha have their noses in front after three Bundesliga games against Cottbus. They beat Cottbus away twice and drew the other game at home.

Hertha want to maintain that record on Sunday, as what has been a dramatic season draws to a close. Lustenberger again: "It is hard to pick out particular highlights, but our win away to Union Berlin was special after making a bad start to the season. That victory won us respect from our fans and football Germany." On Sunday the team will have no problems saying goodbye to Bundesliga 2. In around 3 months time they will begin their 2013/14 campaign back in the top flight.

What a season!

Possible line-ups:

Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Brooks, Franz, Kobiashvili – Lustenberger, Kluge – Allagui, Ronny, Ben-Hatira – Ramos Energie Cottbus: Kirschbaum – Schulze, Hünemeier, Möhrle, Rippert – Banovic, Kruska – Bickel, Rivic, Farina – Sanogo