Teams | September 26, 2013 at 12:16 AM
Bitter cup exit in Lautern
Bitter cup exit in Lautern
Hertha lost 1-3 to Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern in round 2 of the DFB Cup on Wednesday night.
Kaiserslautern - Hertha were drawn away to Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern in round 2 of the 2013/14 DFB Cup on Wednesday night (25.09.13). Despite leading at halftime through former captain Peter Niemeyer, the capital city visitors deservedly lost 1-3 in the end. Once again Hertha miss out on the chance of playing a DFB Cup final at their own stadium.
Luhukay made several changes to his starting eleven. The Dutchman opted for a back four consisting of Christoph Janker, Maik Franz, Fabian Lustenberger and Fabian Holland. Nico Schulz and Ben Sahar played in front of the back four, while up front Sandro Wagner and Sami Allagui had the job of scoring goals. Lautern welcomed back their much-travelled striker Mohamadou Idrissou after suspension. He got the nod ahead of Simon Zoller. Alexander Ring also replaced Willi Orban in their team.
Niemeyer fires Hertha ahead
The home side made a bright start and threatened after only three minutes as Chris Löwe sent a centrally placed free kick fizzing narrowly wide of the Berlin goal being kept by Thomas Kraft. After those early efforts the game settled down and the visitors began to play a part in the proceedings. On 8 minutes Allagui was found by a fine through ball but could not convert the chance. Moments later Löwe cleared a cross in the nick of time off the toe of Sahar who looked certain to score. Hertha's first shot came on 17 minutes as Niemeyer aimed much too high.
Hertha's number 18 went on better on 25 minutes, as a good cross from Sahar found the former Hertha captain at the far post where he finished well to give the Bundesliga visitors the lead. Hertha then had a gilt-edged chance to double their lead but Allagui somehow blasted over an empty net from point blank range, following good approach work from Sahar (35.). Lautern fought hard and Kraft needed both fists to thwart a stinging effort from Karim Matmour. Idrissou then nodded an accurate cross wide of goal (39.). Allagui just failed to connect with the ball inside the Lautern box (42.). The game was goalless at the break.
Lautern turn things around
Both teams emerged for the second half unchanged, and once again the home side took the game to Hertha early on. After 53 minutes Lautern were level as danger man Idrissou nodded home. That goal boosted the home side while Hertha struggled and seemed void of ideas in the final third. Ten minutes after equalising the home side took the lead, as Karim Matmour latched onto a crisp through ball before blasting the ball past Kraft and into the Berlin net (63.). Not long afterwards Hertha missed a chance to equalise. A swift move say Allagui play a square ball into the middle, but home keeper Tobias Sippel needed two attempts to deny Sahar (67.).
Mainz at home next
Luhukay reacted by bringing on Adrian Ramos for Sahar. Wagner narrowly missed connecting with a good cross from Allagui (80.). At the other end a poor clearance by Hertha's Cigerci was pounced on by Olivier Occean, who rounded Kraft before easily slotting the ball home to make it 3-1 to Lautern (83.). Ronny then replaced Cigerci as Hertha threw everything forward. But it wasn't to be. Hertha can now concentrate on their season goal of Bundesliga survival, beginning with Saturday’s home game against Mainz.
Match details:
1. FC Kaiserslautern: Sippel - Dick , Simunek , Torrejon , Löwe - Karl , Ring (82. Orban) - Matmour , Gaus (68. Fortounis) - Occean , Idrissou
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Jancker, Franz, Lustenberger, Holland - Sahar, Niemeyer, Cigerci, Schulz - Wagner, Allagui
Goals: 0:1 Niemeyer (25.), 1:1 Idrissou (53.), 2:1 Matmour (63.), 3:1 Occean (83.)
Booked: Gaus, Occean, Löwe, Torrejon - Wagner
Referee: Thorsten Kinhöfer
Att: 24.291
Luhukay made several changes to his starting eleven. The Dutchman opted for a back four consisting of Christoph Janker, Maik Franz, Fabian Lustenberger and Fabian Holland. Nico Schulz and Ben Sahar played in front of the back four, while up front Sandro Wagner and Sami Allagui had the job of scoring goals. Lautern welcomed back their much-travelled striker Mohamadou Idrissou after suspension. He got the nod ahead of Simon Zoller. Alexander Ring also replaced Willi Orban in their team.
Niemeyer fires Hertha ahead
The home side made a bright start and threatened after only three minutes as Chris Löwe sent a centrally placed free kick fizzing narrowly wide of the Berlin goal being kept by Thomas Kraft. After those early efforts the game settled down and the visitors began to play a part in the proceedings. On 8 minutes Allagui was found by a fine through ball but could not convert the chance. Moments later Löwe cleared a cross in the nick of time off the toe of Sahar who looked certain to score. Hertha's first shot came on 17 minutes as Niemeyer aimed much too high.
Hertha's number 18 went on better on 25 minutes, as a good cross from Sahar found the former Hertha captain at the far post where he finished well to give the Bundesliga visitors the lead. Hertha then had a gilt-edged chance to double their lead but Allagui somehow blasted over an empty net from point blank range, following good approach work from Sahar (35.). Lautern fought hard and Kraft needed both fists to thwart a stinging effort from Karim Matmour. Idrissou then nodded an accurate cross wide of goal (39.). Allagui just failed to connect with the ball inside the Lautern box (42.). The game was goalless at the break.
Lautern turn things around
Both teams emerged for the second half unchanged, and once again the home side took the game to Hertha early on. After 53 minutes Lautern were level as danger man Idrissou nodded home. That goal boosted the home side while Hertha struggled and seemed void of ideas in the final third. Ten minutes after equalising the home side took the lead, as Karim Matmour latched onto a crisp through ball before blasting the ball past Kraft and into the Berlin net (63.). Not long afterwards Hertha missed a chance to equalise. A swift move say Allagui play a square ball into the middle, but home keeper Tobias Sippel needed two attempts to deny Sahar (67.).
Mainz at home next
Luhukay reacted by bringing on Adrian Ramos for Sahar. Wagner narrowly missed connecting with a good cross from Allagui (80.). At the other end a poor clearance by Hertha's Cigerci was pounced on by Olivier Occean, who rounded Kraft before easily slotting the ball home to make it 3-1 to Lautern (83.). Ronny then replaced Cigerci as Hertha threw everything forward. But it wasn't to be. Hertha can now concentrate on their season goal of Bundesliga survival, beginning with Saturday’s home game against Mainz.
Match details:
1. FC Kaiserslautern: Sippel - Dick , Simunek , Torrejon , Löwe - Karl , Ring (82. Orban) - Matmour , Gaus (68. Fortounis) - Occean , Idrissou
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Jancker, Franz, Lustenberger, Holland - Sahar, Niemeyer, Cigerci, Schulz - Wagner, Allagui
Goals: 0:1 Niemeyer (25.), 1:1 Idrissou (53.), 2:1 Matmour (63.), 3:1 Occean (83.)
Booked: Gaus, Occean, Löwe, Torrejon - Wagner
Referee: Thorsten Kinhöfer
Att: 24.291