Teams | September 28, 2013 at 02:10 AM
Bundesliga action again
Bundesliga action again
Luhukay fucusses solely on next game. Tuchel demands that Mainz get stuck in.
Berlin - On Saturday (28.09.13, 15.30 CET) Hertha BSC entertain FSV Mainz 05 at the Olympic stadium in Berin on Bundesliga matchday 7. Mainz are not exactly brimming with confidence, after losing their last three league games and (like Hertha) lost in the second round of the DFB Cup in midweek at home to 1. FC Köln. Berlin boss Jos Luhukay wants to put his side's cup exit at the hands of Kaiserslautern to bed and fully focus on the job at hand. Hertha's record aagainst the Rheinhessen based visitors (including Bundesliga 2 games) is not a bad one. The sides have met 22 times so far. Hertha have eight victories, there have been 11 draws and the capital city side have only lost 3 times to the side coached by Thomas Tuchel.
Luhukay announced this week that apart from the long term injured trio Marcel Ndjeng, Alexander Baumjohann and 'Jay' Brooks, he has a full strength squad to pick his team from. Skipper Fabian Lustenberger came out of the midweek cup exit in Kaiserslautern with an injury, but has since resumed training and is in the mix. Peer Kluge has also resumed training after the knock he took playing for the reserves against Optik Rathenow, but the Mainz game comes a little early for the seasoned pro. On the good news side, Sebastian Langkamp and Johannes van den Bergh are available for creating too many scoring chances."
Luhukay happy with five from six Bundesliga matches
The Lautern defeat is now in the past and the focus is back on Bundesliga action - the visit of Mainz to Berlin to be more exact. When asked whether the game is between two teams in crisis Luhukay replied: "To describe our situation as a crisis is far from reality. We must not forget our last home game (0-1 vs. Stuttgart) where we were so dominant and had plenty of scoring chances, only to lose to a single set piece goal. If we were to reduce our performances to results alone, with the exception of Kaiserslautern, I don't see any crisis at all." The Dutchman is happy with five of his side's six Bundesliga performances so far. The only exception was the SC Freiburg defeat.
After losing three consecutive league games and getting dumped out of the DFB Cup in midweek, it is safe to say that Mainz visit the capital city low on confidence. Their coach Thomas Tuchel wants to see his side triumph at the Olympic stadium despite it all. He said this week: "We will do everything possible to end the game ahead of Hertha in the Bundesliga table. Whether we are not in form or problems doesn't matter." Tuchel, who contracted high fever and watched his side's DFB Cup demise in Köln from a box in the stands at the Coface-Arena reckons that his flu bug and the form of his team have certain things in common. The coach: "The similarities are there. We don't know where we caught the bug. But the fact that it has knocked us flat is a fact." Tuchel knows that only hard work can bring success back to his struggling side. He added: "That is the demand I am making. It is a nice task to have however strange that may sound. We have to get stuck in to the situation."
Tuchel demands hard work from himself and his team
"The fact that we are usually only successful when certain players play out of their skins, like recently Nicolai Müller or Adam Szalai last season, is normal for us. If we don't have that, life becomes very tough", knows Tuchel, who includes himself on the “work to be done” aspect. "I am part and parcel of it." Mainz manager Christian Heidel reckons that the team simply have to press the "reset" button and do everything in their power to produce a different performance to those of late. Heidl is demanding maximum effort from the team. He said: "The players have to show more will and bite, while at the same time carrying out tactical orders." The manager is convinced that the team has the right quality. He concluded: "Everyone close to the club thought after the first game of the season that had just watched a very good team." That opinion has yet to change.
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Lustenberger, , van den Bergh - Kobiashvili/Cigerci, Hosogai - Skjelbred/Allagui, Ronny, Ben-Hatira/Schulz - Ramos
Mainz: Müller - Pospech, Svensson, Noveski, Park - Geis, Moritz - Müller, Zimling, Okazaki/Choupo-Moting, - Polter
Luhukay announced this week that apart from the long term injured trio Marcel Ndjeng, Alexander Baumjohann and 'Jay' Brooks, he has a full strength squad to pick his team from. Skipper Fabian Lustenberger came out of the midweek cup exit in Kaiserslautern with an injury, but has since resumed training and is in the mix. Peer Kluge has also resumed training after the knock he took playing for the reserves against Optik Rathenow, but the Mainz game comes a little early for the seasoned pro. On the good news side, Sebastian Langkamp and Johannes van den Bergh are available for creating too many scoring chances."
Luhukay happy with five from six Bundesliga matches
The Lautern defeat is now in the past and the focus is back on Bundesliga action - the visit of Mainz to Berlin to be more exact. When asked whether the game is between two teams in crisis Luhukay replied: "To describe our situation as a crisis is far from reality. We must not forget our last home game (0-1 vs. Stuttgart) where we were so dominant and had plenty of scoring chances, only to lose to a single set piece goal. If we were to reduce our performances to results alone, with the exception of Kaiserslautern, I don't see any crisis at all." The Dutchman is happy with five of his side's six Bundesliga performances so far. The only exception was the SC Freiburg defeat.
After losing three consecutive league games and getting dumped out of the DFB Cup in midweek, it is safe to say that Mainz visit the capital city low on confidence. Their coach Thomas Tuchel wants to see his side triumph at the Olympic stadium despite it all. He said this week: "We will do everything possible to end the game ahead of Hertha in the Bundesliga table. Whether we are not in form or problems doesn't matter." Tuchel, who contracted high fever and watched his side's DFB Cup demise in Köln from a box in the stands at the Coface-Arena reckons that his flu bug and the form of his team have certain things in common. The coach: "The similarities are there. We don't know where we caught the bug. But the fact that it has knocked us flat is a fact." Tuchel knows that only hard work can bring success back to his struggling side. He added: "That is the demand I am making. It is a nice task to have however strange that may sound. We have to get stuck in to the situation."
Tuchel demands hard work from himself and his team
"The fact that we are usually only successful when certain players play out of their skins, like recently Nicolai Müller or Adam Szalai last season, is normal for us. If we don't have that, life becomes very tough", knows Tuchel, who includes himself on the “work to be done” aspect. "I am part and parcel of it." Mainz manager Christian Heidel reckons that the team simply have to press the "reset" button and do everything in their power to produce a different performance to those of late. Heidl is demanding maximum effort from the team. He said: "The players have to show more will and bite, while at the same time carrying out tactical orders." The manager is convinced that the team has the right quality. He concluded: "Everyone close to the club thought after the first game of the season that had just watched a very good team." That opinion has yet to change.
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Lustenberger, , van den Bergh - Kobiashvili/Cigerci, Hosogai - Skjelbred/Allagui, Ronny, Ben-Hatira/Schulz - Ramos
Mainz: Müller - Pospech, Svensson, Noveski, Park - Geis, Moritz - Müller, Zimling, Okazaki/Choupo-Moting, - Polter