Teams | November 3, 2013 at 06:49 PM
Bitter home defeat
Bitter home defeat
Hertha played well but still lost 0-2 at home to Schalke.
Berlin - Hertha performed well on Saturday afternoon (02.11.13), but in the end tasted bitter defeat as visitors Schalke ran out the 2-0 winners at the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Home coach Jos Luhukay fielded the same 4-1-4-1 system that had worked so well in the unlucky 2-3 defeat away to triple winners Bayern Muncih last time out. The Gelsenkirchen-based visitors made just one change to the team which lost the derby to Borussia Dortmund on matchday 10: Sead Kolasinac was replaced by Max Meyer.
The tradition-steeped Olympic stadium was filled with a crowd of 69,277 for what was the pick of the games on Bundesliga matchday 11. The home side were keen to carry on where they had left off at the sold out Allianz-Arena in Munich the previous weekend. It took about 15 minutes for the home side to threaten for the first time, as Berlin-born Schalke man Kevin Prince Boateng almost gifted his former club an opener as he headed a Skjelbred free kick towards his own goal. But the visitors cleared their lines and the danger passes. Moments later Schalke keeper Timo Hildebrand was forced to show his class, diving low to his right to deny a goal-bound effort by Änis Ben-Hatira (12.). When they won possession the home side instantly switched from defence to attack. Nico Schulz produced a perfectly-weighted ball to the feet of Ben-Hatira who could only hit the side netting with his volley (17.).
Set piece setback
Schalke looked anything but dangerous early on, with only two wayward shots well over the crossbar from young Germany talent Julian Draxler to show for their efforts. On 22 minutes though home keeper Thomas Kraft made his first save as he turned a shot around a post for a corner. The visitors then began to pin Hertha back in their own half. They took the lead on 26 minutes after Kraft turned an effort by Adam Szalai away for a corner. That corner was headed home by the Hungarian to put the visitors ahead. Hertha fought hard but failed to find an equaliser before the halftime break.
Hertha made a bright start to the second half and created an equalising chance early on, as Hildebrand tipped a free kick from the edge of the box over his bar. The resulting corner by Schulz found the head of Adrian Ramos, but Schalke man of the match Hildebrand was again on his guard to somehow touch the ball over his crossbar. That corner was also taken by Schulz, who again found the head of Ramos. This time the Columbian striker somehow failed to get power and direction onto his header as he looked certain to score (52.). Ramos then played a sweet through ball into the path of Schulz, whose deflected shot landed at the feet of Ben-Hatira, who tried to back heel the ball into the net but failed to do so (60.).
All that effort for nothing
With the huge home crowd behind them the capital city side continued to venture forward. After an hour Luhukay replaced Schulz with Ronny. Germany defender Benedikt Höwedes stretched out a leg to prevent a fine through ball by Ramos from finding Ben-Hatira, who would have been through on Hildebrand on his own (63.). Moments later at the other end Max Meyer curled the ball onto the Berlin bar from the edge of the area (64.). Hildebrand then produced a fine save to deny Ronny, and at the other end Kraft had his wits about him to prevent Szalai from doubling Schalke's lead with a timely challenge (66.).
Luhukay brought on Allagui for Skjelbred and Niemeyer for Hosogai in a last ditch attempt to turn thing around. Five minutes from the end Ramos aimed a tame header straight at Hildebrand (85.), who then did well to keep out a Ronny free kick. Hertha were then caught cold late on as Draxler rounded off a counter attack to make the final score 2-0 to the visitors. Hildebrand kept his 100th Bundesliga clean sheet and Schalke took maximum points home with them to Gelsenkirchen. Matchday 12 sees Hertha travel to face TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (09.11.13, 3.30pm), hoping to end their winless two-game run.
The tradition-steeped Olympic stadium was filled with a crowd of 69,277 for what was the pick of the games on Bundesliga matchday 11. The home side were keen to carry on where they had left off at the sold out Allianz-Arena in Munich the previous weekend. It took about 15 minutes for the home side to threaten for the first time, as Berlin-born Schalke man Kevin Prince Boateng almost gifted his former club an opener as he headed a Skjelbred free kick towards his own goal. But the visitors cleared their lines and the danger passes. Moments later Schalke keeper Timo Hildebrand was forced to show his class, diving low to his right to deny a goal-bound effort by Änis Ben-Hatira (12.). When they won possession the home side instantly switched from defence to attack. Nico Schulz produced a perfectly-weighted ball to the feet of Ben-Hatira who could only hit the side netting with his volley (17.).
Set piece setback
Schalke looked anything but dangerous early on, with only two wayward shots well over the crossbar from young Germany talent Julian Draxler to show for their efforts. On 22 minutes though home keeper Thomas Kraft made his first save as he turned a shot around a post for a corner. The visitors then began to pin Hertha back in their own half. They took the lead on 26 minutes after Kraft turned an effort by Adam Szalai away for a corner. That corner was headed home by the Hungarian to put the visitors ahead. Hertha fought hard but failed to find an equaliser before the halftime break.
Hertha made a bright start to the second half and created an equalising chance early on, as Hildebrand tipped a free kick from the edge of the box over his bar. The resulting corner by Schulz found the head of Adrian Ramos, but Schalke man of the match Hildebrand was again on his guard to somehow touch the ball over his crossbar. That corner was also taken by Schulz, who again found the head of Ramos. This time the Columbian striker somehow failed to get power and direction onto his header as he looked certain to score (52.). Ramos then played a sweet through ball into the path of Schulz, whose deflected shot landed at the feet of Ben-Hatira, who tried to back heel the ball into the net but failed to do so (60.).
All that effort for nothing
With the huge home crowd behind them the capital city side continued to venture forward. After an hour Luhukay replaced Schulz with Ronny. Germany defender Benedikt Höwedes stretched out a leg to prevent a fine through ball by Ramos from finding Ben-Hatira, who would have been through on Hildebrand on his own (63.). Moments later at the other end Max Meyer curled the ball onto the Berlin bar from the edge of the area (64.). Hildebrand then produced a fine save to deny Ronny, and at the other end Kraft had his wits about him to prevent Szalai from doubling Schalke's lead with a timely challenge (66.).
Luhukay brought on Allagui for Skjelbred and Niemeyer for Hosogai in a last ditch attempt to turn thing around. Five minutes from the end Ramos aimed a tame header straight at Hildebrand (85.), who then did well to keep out a Ronny free kick. Hertha were then caught cold late on as Draxler rounded off a counter attack to make the final score 2-0 to the visitors. Hildebrand kept his 100th Bundesliga clean sheet and Schalke took maximum points home with them to Gelsenkirchen. Matchday 12 sees Hertha travel to face TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (09.11.13, 3.30pm), hoping to end their winless two-game run.