Teams | September 16, 2013 at 03:38 PM
0-1 - Unbeaten home run ended
0-1 - Unbeaten home run ended
Hertha BSC unluckily lost 0-1 at home to VfB Stuttgart on matchday 5.
Berlin - Hertha BSC opened Bundesliga matchday 5 on Friday night (13.03.13), entertaining VfB Stuttgart in front of 46,624 at the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Despite having more possession and a hatful of scoring chances, the visitors only needed a goal from a set piece to take all three points home with them.
During the latter stages of the summer transfer window, Hertha BSC signed two midfielders - Per Celjan Skjelbred and Tolga Cigerci, both of whom began the game against Stuttgart. Because Sebastian Langkamp failed to recover in time from a hamstring problem, captain Fabian Lustenberger reverted to centre back. Instead of having two "number sixes" Hertha boss Jos Luhukay opted to play Ronny and Cigerci in central attacking midfield in a 4-1-4-1 system, with Skjelbred on the right. Allagui was on the bench at first. Johannes van den Bergh returned from injury at left back, while Baumjohann, Ndjeng and Mukhtar all missed out through injury. New Stuttgart coach Thomas Schneider unsurprisingly chose the same team which hammered TSG Hoffenheim 6-2 last time out.
Hertha made a bright start putting the visitors under some early pressure. The home side tried to get forward using Ben-Hatira and Skjelbred down the wings. The former threatened first too, forcing a two fisted save from Stuttgart keeper Sven Ulreich on 18 minutes. Moments later Ronny blasted over from an acute angle.
After a nice one two with van den Bergh, Ramos cleverly left a defender in his wake down the left, but like Ronny beforehand could only fire over the bar from a tight angle (26.). After thirty minutes Berlin stopper Thomas Kraft got a touch of the ball, but the free kick by Alexandru Maxim failed to raise his pulse rate (31.). The best Stuttgart chance of the opening half came from a set piece, as their captain Christian Gentner got his head to a Maxim free kick, only to be denied by a superb reflex save by Kraft (40.). The game was goalless at halftime.
Stuttgart edge ahead from set piece
Both teams were unchanged at the start of the second half, and this time it was the visitors who got away better. On 48 minutes Gentner beat Kraft with a header from a Maxim corner to edge Stuttgart in front. Hertha reacted by mounting a period of intense pressure as they tried to get back on level terms. Ramos broke well down the left before sending a low pass into the VfB box, but Ulreich denied Skjelbred from scoring on his debut from point blank range with an excellent save (51.). Moments later Ulreich was on hand again to thwart Cigerci. Not long after that Brooks nodded a Ronny corner over the bar (58.). Then Ramos played Hosogai into space in the Stuttgart box, but once again VfB's man of the match between their posts was on hand to avert the danger (60.).
The home side created a hatful of useful chances but simply couldn't score. A cross from the right found Cigerci, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner, which was in turn headed over by Brooks (62.). Ulreich first saved a shot by Skjelbred from just inside the area and then a Brooks header (65.). Luhukay reacted by introducing fresh legs fifteen minutes from the end as Sandro Wagner and Nico Schulz replaced hard working debutants Cigerci and Skelbred. Wagner got his head onto a Ronny free kick but the effort lacked power and another chance went begging (80.).
Pekarik threatens at the death
Sami Allagui came on for Ben-Hatira late on, but the final chance of the game fell to full back Peter Pekarik in injury time. He narrowly failed to connect with the ball while close in (90.). Hertha had to relinquish their fine unbeaten home record despite a plucky performance. The capital city side are on their travels on Bundesliga matchday 6, as they travel to the Black Forest region on Sunday (22.09.13) to take on SC Frieburg in a game that will be anything but a stroll in the Black forest or indeed a piece of cake...
During the latter stages of the summer transfer window, Hertha BSC signed two midfielders - Per Celjan Skjelbred and Tolga Cigerci, both of whom began the game against Stuttgart. Because Sebastian Langkamp failed to recover in time from a hamstring problem, captain Fabian Lustenberger reverted to centre back. Instead of having two "number sixes" Hertha boss Jos Luhukay opted to play Ronny and Cigerci in central attacking midfield in a 4-1-4-1 system, with Skjelbred on the right. Allagui was on the bench at first. Johannes van den Bergh returned from injury at left back, while Baumjohann, Ndjeng and Mukhtar all missed out through injury. New Stuttgart coach Thomas Schneider unsurprisingly chose the same team which hammered TSG Hoffenheim 6-2 last time out.
Hertha made a bright start putting the visitors under some early pressure. The home side tried to get forward using Ben-Hatira and Skjelbred down the wings. The former threatened first too, forcing a two fisted save from Stuttgart keeper Sven Ulreich on 18 minutes. Moments later Ronny blasted over from an acute angle.
After a nice one two with van den Bergh, Ramos cleverly left a defender in his wake down the left, but like Ronny beforehand could only fire over the bar from a tight angle (26.). After thirty minutes Berlin stopper Thomas Kraft got a touch of the ball, but the free kick by Alexandru Maxim failed to raise his pulse rate (31.). The best Stuttgart chance of the opening half came from a set piece, as their captain Christian Gentner got his head to a Maxim free kick, only to be denied by a superb reflex save by Kraft (40.). The game was goalless at halftime.
Stuttgart edge ahead from set piece
Both teams were unchanged at the start of the second half, and this time it was the visitors who got away better. On 48 minutes Gentner beat Kraft with a header from a Maxim corner to edge Stuttgart in front. Hertha reacted by mounting a period of intense pressure as they tried to get back on level terms. Ramos broke well down the left before sending a low pass into the VfB box, but Ulreich denied Skjelbred from scoring on his debut from point blank range with an excellent save (51.). Moments later Ulreich was on hand again to thwart Cigerci. Not long after that Brooks nodded a Ronny corner over the bar (58.). Then Ramos played Hosogai into space in the Stuttgart box, but once again VfB's man of the match between their posts was on hand to avert the danger (60.).
The home side created a hatful of useful chances but simply couldn't score. A cross from the right found Cigerci, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner, which was in turn headed over by Brooks (62.). Ulreich first saved a shot by Skjelbred from just inside the area and then a Brooks header (65.). Luhukay reacted by introducing fresh legs fifteen minutes from the end as Sandro Wagner and Nico Schulz replaced hard working debutants Cigerci and Skelbred. Wagner got his head onto a Ronny free kick but the effort lacked power and another chance went begging (80.).
Pekarik threatens at the death
Sami Allagui came on for Ben-Hatira late on, but the final chance of the game fell to full back Peter Pekarik in injury time. He narrowly failed to connect with the ball while close in (90.). Hertha had to relinquish their fine unbeaten home record despite a plucky performance. The capital city side are on their travels on Bundesliga matchday 6, as they travel to the Black Forest region on Sunday (22.09.13) to take on SC Frieburg in a game that will be anything but a stroll in the Black forest or indeed a piece of cake...