Teams | December 16, 2013 at 01:44 AM
Hertha scrape 3-2 win over Werder Bremen
Hertha scrape 3-2 win over Werder Bremen
Hertha came from behind to beat Werder Bremen 3-2 through goals by Adrian Ramos and Ronny.
Berlin - Hertha BSC won their final home game of 2013 on Friday night (13.12.13), beating Werder Bremen 3-2 on Bundesliga matchday 16. A crowd of 48,721 under the floodlights at the Olympic stadium in Berlin saw goals by Adrian Ramos (2) and Ronny secure three crucial points. For Hertha coach Jos Luhukay it was his 50th game in charge of the Berliners. The Dutchman made just one change to the team which won away at Eintracht Braunschweig last time out, with injured Johannes van den Bergh being replaced by Peter Pekarik. Luhukay changed his side tactically too, with Nico Schulz playing at left back, Per Skjelbred moved onto the same side up front and Marcel Ndjeng moved one position up the field on the right. Pekarik played in his favoured right back position. Bremen's captain Clemens Fritz was on the bench because of a knock, which meant that Philipp Bargfrede took his place in the team.
Both sides made a cautious start. Hardly surprising that Werder chose that approach after their 0-7 hammering at home to treble winners Bayern last time out. They did begin to venture forward and in fact scored with their first chance. A poor back pass found Nils Petersen on the edge of the Hertha area. The striker took aim and fired a fine low shot into the bottom left hand corner of Hertha's net leaving home keeper Kraft groping at air (15.). Werder's lead was short lived though, because within two minutes Hertha were level. Ronny played a fine through ball into the path of Skjelbred, who was brought down inside the Bremen box by Theodor Gebre Selassie . The resulting penalty was coolly slotted home by Ramos (17.). Moments later Werder almost took the lead again, but a header by Dutchman Eljero Elia landed on top of the goal instead of in it.
Ramos and Ronny turn things around
Hertha had more luck in front of goal. On 23 minutes, as Skjelbred's pass found Ramos who finished well sending a shot from an acute angle past Bremen keeper Raphael Wolf to give Hertha the lead for the first time. Five minutes later Ronny took a free kick on the right which grazed the crossbar. The home side allowed Werder too much room in midfield and Hunt received the ball from the left from where he fired the ball home to drag the visitors level (32.). The action-packed first half continued with Ramos latching onto a back pass but could only screw the ball wide of the far post (38.). Luhukay brought on Peter Niemeyer for John Anthony Brooks, while Hosogai reverted to central defence. An entertaining opening half ended 2-2.
The second half began at a furious pace. First, Bremen's Petersen nodded a cross agonisingly wide of target (47.). Then Cigerci was then fed down the left. His strong cross landed on the head Pekarik at the far post. Wolf did well to gat a hand to the ball but it fell to the feet of Ronny who scored with a close range tap in to make it 3-2 to the home side (48.). Both defences tightened up from then on so play usually ended when they reached each other's penalty areas. Hertha could have increased their lead however on 71 minutes. But Ndjeng pushed the ball wide of target while in a one on one situation with Wolf.
Kobi clears off the line
Ramos was taken off slightly limping with a quarter of an hour to go. The crowd gave him a rousing send off after his brace of goals and Sandro Wagner took his place up front. The visitors threatened again on 76 minutes as a series of deflections set up Luca Caldirola, who blazed the ball way too high. Skjelbred was then replaced by Levan Kobiashvili making his 50th appearance for the capital city club. The Georgian veteran was soon called into action to clear a ball from Elia off his own goal line with only two minutes left to play. Moments beforehand Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft did superbly to turn a dipping effort by Hunt onto the inside of his post.
Hertha kept Werder at bay for the five minutes of time added on to deservedly take maximum points from what was a thrilling encounter. Luhukay and Co. round off 2013 with a final game at the magnificent Signal Iduna Park, where high-flyers Borussia Dortmund await them on matchday 17 next Saturday (21.12.13).
Both sides made a cautious start. Hardly surprising that Werder chose that approach after their 0-7 hammering at home to treble winners Bayern last time out. They did begin to venture forward and in fact scored with their first chance. A poor back pass found Nils Petersen on the edge of the Hertha area. The striker took aim and fired a fine low shot into the bottom left hand corner of Hertha's net leaving home keeper Kraft groping at air (15.). Werder's lead was short lived though, because within two minutes Hertha were level. Ronny played a fine through ball into the path of Skjelbred, who was brought down inside the Bremen box by Theodor Gebre Selassie . The resulting penalty was coolly slotted home by Ramos (17.). Moments later Werder almost took the lead again, but a header by Dutchman Eljero Elia landed on top of the goal instead of in it.
Ramos and Ronny turn things around
Hertha had more luck in front of goal. On 23 minutes, as Skjelbred's pass found Ramos who finished well sending a shot from an acute angle past Bremen keeper Raphael Wolf to give Hertha the lead for the first time. Five minutes later Ronny took a free kick on the right which grazed the crossbar. The home side allowed Werder too much room in midfield and Hunt received the ball from the left from where he fired the ball home to drag the visitors level (32.). The action-packed first half continued with Ramos latching onto a back pass but could only screw the ball wide of the far post (38.). Luhukay brought on Peter Niemeyer for John Anthony Brooks, while Hosogai reverted to central defence. An entertaining opening half ended 2-2.
The second half began at a furious pace. First, Bremen's Petersen nodded a cross agonisingly wide of target (47.). Then Cigerci was then fed down the left. His strong cross landed on the head Pekarik at the far post. Wolf did well to gat a hand to the ball but it fell to the feet of Ronny who scored with a close range tap in to make it 3-2 to the home side (48.). Both defences tightened up from then on so play usually ended when they reached each other's penalty areas. Hertha could have increased their lead however on 71 minutes. But Ndjeng pushed the ball wide of target while in a one on one situation with Wolf.
Kobi clears off the line
Ramos was taken off slightly limping with a quarter of an hour to go. The crowd gave him a rousing send off after his brace of goals and Sandro Wagner took his place up front. The visitors threatened again on 76 minutes as a series of deflections set up Luca Caldirola, who blazed the ball way too high. Skjelbred was then replaced by Levan Kobiashvili making his 50th appearance for the capital city club. The Georgian veteran was soon called into action to clear a ball from Elia off his own goal line with only two minutes left to play. Moments beforehand Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft did superbly to turn a dipping effort by Hunt onto the inside of his post.
Hertha kept Werder at bay for the five minutes of time added on to deservedly take maximum points from what was a thrilling encounter. Luhukay and Co. round off 2013 with a final game at the magnificent Signal Iduna Park, where high-flyers Borussia Dortmund await them on matchday 17 next Saturday (21.12.13).