Teams | September 30, 2013 at 11:42 AM
Home win! Hertha beat Mainz 3-1
Home win! Hertha beat Mainz 3-1
Hertha BSC came from a goal behind to beat Mainz 3-1.
Berlin - After being dumped out of the DFB Cup 1-3 by Kaiserslautern in midweek, the Bundesliga took centre stage again as Hertha welcomed 1. FSV Mainz 05 to the Olympic stadium in Berlin on matchday 7. The home side had to come from a goal behind to beat the plucky visitors 3-1 in front of a crowd of 40,969 which included school children and teachers from the Bürgel-Schule in Hertha's partner town Rathenow, as well as 1,200 soldiers and their families from Beelitz, who were invited by the club as a thank you for their service in Afganistan as well as their work to help flood victims in the Sachsen-Anhalt region.
Hertha coach Jos Luhukay fielded the same team which drew 1-1 with Freiburg last time out with only one forced change through injury: Captain Fabian Lustenberger replaced John Anthony Brooks (elbow) in central defence, while Tolga Cigerci played in front of the back four. Visiting coach Thomas Tuchel made two changes to the side which lost 1-4 against Leverkusen on matchday 6: Soto and Moritz were replaced by Zimling and Okazaki.
Mainz: First chance first goal
Hertha had more of the ball in the opening minutes. but it would be the visitors who would strike first with their first chance of the game. Former HSV man Maxim Choupo-Moting crossed into the middle where Nicolai Müller got to the ball ahead of Hertha's Hajime Hosogai to toe poke the visitors ahead (7.). Four minutes later Ronny let fly with one of his trade mark free kicks from distance, but Mainz keeper Heinz Müller did well to tip the thunderbolt around his post for a corner. The visitors kept things tight, not allowing Hertha much space to operate in.
The Berliners were at their most dangerous when they played down the wings. The home side won possession and Änis Ben-Hatira played a fine through ball to the feet of Adrian Ramos in the middle. Once again Müller was on his guard to avert the danger (25.). Mainz mounted few attacks and when they did they seemed void of ideas in the final third. Choupo-Moting shot from 30 metres but home stopper Thomas Kraft dealt easily with the effort (31.). Shortly afterwards Ramos was found with a defence-splitting through ball by Per Skjelbred, but the Columbian striker was denied by a timely challenge by Zdenek (33.). On 40 minutes Ronny blasted a free kick a metre wide of the far post. Mainz somehow led 1-0 at the break.
Super sub Allagui at the double!
At the start of the second half former Hertha BSC man Malik Fathi replaced Noveski, who had been booked during the first half. Luhukay introduced former Mainz forward Sami Allagui to the fray at the expense of Cigerci. Hertha's struck almost immediately. as Ben-Hatira superbly fed Ramos who advanced into the left side of the Mainz box and rounded Müller, before playing a low pass into the middle where Allagui easily equalised from point blank range (48.). A well worked goal and richly deserved. Hertha began to get on top as they searched for further goals. But apart from a further Ronny free kick which deflected off the defensive wall for a corner on 59 minutes they failed to properly threaten the visitors. Luhukay then brought on Nico Schulz for Ronny after around an hour while Ben-Hatira moved into the middle.
Sami Allagui received a pass from Ben-Hatira before turning Mainz defender Joo-Ho Park one way and then the other and superbly netting from an acute angle to give the home side a deserved lead (73.). And the provider of Hertha's second goal turned scorer, as a great ball to the front line by Skjelbred was latched onto by Ben-Hatira who was central some 20 metres out. He drilled a brilliant low shot into the back of the net to increase his side's lead (74.). Johannes Geiß tried his luck at the other end with a finely struck free kick to the near post, but Kraft produced a top drawer save to keep the effort out (80.). Hertha ran out the deserved 3-1 winners.
Hannover away on Friday night
Matchday 8 sees Hertha travel to Niedersachsen, where they face Hannover 96 on Friday night (04.10.13).
Hertha coach Jos Luhukay fielded the same team which drew 1-1 with Freiburg last time out with only one forced change through injury: Captain Fabian Lustenberger replaced John Anthony Brooks (elbow) in central defence, while Tolga Cigerci played in front of the back four. Visiting coach Thomas Tuchel made two changes to the side which lost 1-4 against Leverkusen on matchday 6: Soto and Moritz were replaced by Zimling and Okazaki.
Mainz: First chance first goal
Hertha had more of the ball in the opening minutes. but it would be the visitors who would strike first with their first chance of the game. Former HSV man Maxim Choupo-Moting crossed into the middle where Nicolai Müller got to the ball ahead of Hertha's Hajime Hosogai to toe poke the visitors ahead (7.). Four minutes later Ronny let fly with one of his trade mark free kicks from distance, but Mainz keeper Heinz Müller did well to tip the thunderbolt around his post for a corner. The visitors kept things tight, not allowing Hertha much space to operate in.
The Berliners were at their most dangerous when they played down the wings. The home side won possession and Änis Ben-Hatira played a fine through ball to the feet of Adrian Ramos in the middle. Once again Müller was on his guard to avert the danger (25.). Mainz mounted few attacks and when they did they seemed void of ideas in the final third. Choupo-Moting shot from 30 metres but home stopper Thomas Kraft dealt easily with the effort (31.). Shortly afterwards Ramos was found with a defence-splitting through ball by Per Skjelbred, but the Columbian striker was denied by a timely challenge by Zdenek (33.). On 40 minutes Ronny blasted a free kick a metre wide of the far post. Mainz somehow led 1-0 at the break.
Super sub Allagui at the double!
At the start of the second half former Hertha BSC man Malik Fathi replaced Noveski, who had been booked during the first half. Luhukay introduced former Mainz forward Sami Allagui to the fray at the expense of Cigerci. Hertha's struck almost immediately. as Ben-Hatira superbly fed Ramos who advanced into the left side of the Mainz box and rounded Müller, before playing a low pass into the middle where Allagui easily equalised from point blank range (48.). A well worked goal and richly deserved. Hertha began to get on top as they searched for further goals. But apart from a further Ronny free kick which deflected off the defensive wall for a corner on 59 minutes they failed to properly threaten the visitors. Luhukay then brought on Nico Schulz for Ronny after around an hour while Ben-Hatira moved into the middle.
Sami Allagui received a pass from Ben-Hatira before turning Mainz defender Joo-Ho Park one way and then the other and superbly netting from an acute angle to give the home side a deserved lead (73.). And the provider of Hertha's second goal turned scorer, as a great ball to the front line by Skjelbred was latched onto by Ben-Hatira who was central some 20 metres out. He drilled a brilliant low shot into the back of the net to increase his side's lead (74.). Johannes Geiß tried his luck at the other end with a finely struck free kick to the near post, but Kraft produced a top drawer save to keep the effort out (80.). Hertha ran out the deserved 3-1 winners.
Hannover away on Friday night
Matchday 8 sees Hertha travel to Niedersachsen, where they face Hannover 96 on Friday night (04.10.13).