Teams | February 21, 2014 at 07:29 PM
"Profit from the situation"
"Profit from the situation"
On Saturday (22.02.14, 3.30 pm), Hertha BSC face VfB Stuttgart away from home.
Berlin - Bundesliga matchday 22 sees the capital city side do battle with yet another relegation-threatened side. This time coach Jos Luhukay and his 18-man squad travel to the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where VfB Stuttgart await them on Saturday afternoon (22.02.14, 3.30 pm). Stuttgart have yet to win any points since the winter break and have lost all of their last six league matches - only HSV have conceded more goals in the Bundesliga. One thing which will not happen though is that Hertha will underestimate the struggling Schwabians on Saturday. At the pre-match press conference coach Luhukay explained: "It will be a tough away game and certainly not a stroll in the park. It will come down to the details.” Stuttgart are of course well aware of their predicament. Their head coach Thomas Schneider said this week: "We know what is riding on the game. It is right to speak of a fight for survival, as everyone at our club knows."
Luhukay has key players available for selection again after injury, with midfielder Änis Ben-Hatira and defender John Anthony Brooks back in the mix. The Dutchman is still however without his influential captain Fabian Lustenberger, as well Alexander Baumjohann. Winter signing goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein resumed training at the beginning of the week, but the Stuttgart clash comes too soon for him, so the role of second choice stopper goes again to Marius Gersbeck. Hany Mukhtar and Per Skjelbred have the flu and miss the trip to southern Germany.
100% effort week in week out
Although Hertha BSC have lost three times since the winter break, things remain calm at the club. After all, as manager Michael Preetz rightly pointed out ahead of the game: "We have not forgotten where we came from. Other clubs would be happy with our points tally." The fact is that Hertha were not thrashed in any of those losing games and looked likely to take points in all of them - which gives cause for optimism ahead of Saturday's crucial encounter. Änis Ben-Hatira hit the nail on the head as he said this week: "We lack efficiency and consistency in front of goal. That is all that people can accuse us of." It is about giving 100% week in week out, like on recent travels where Hertha won four of their last games.
To describe Stuttgart's current situation as difficult would vastly underestimate the matter. Their manager and former Hertha striker Fredi Bobic knows: "That we have only cup finals ahead of us for the rest of the season." Stuttgart are in the mire after losing all six of their last league games. They have yet to collect any points since the winter break and have conceded a dozen goals - second only to HSV. Their defence looks vulnerable and the goals have dried up too. The suspension of danger man Vedad Ibisevic doesn't help. Bobic again: "We have to focus solely on our next game without any outside distractions. We have changed the tone and intensity in training in an effort to get the players to pull closer together."
Thomas Schneider is without his main axis, with keeper Sven Ulreich, midfielder Christian Gentner and striker Vedad Ibisevic all performing under par. Moritz Leitner is also suspended. Schneider: "We can only overcome this negative run with small successes. Central defender Georg Niedermeier says that anyone not towing the line can "expect trouble."
Possible line-ups:
VfB Stuttgart: Ulreich – Sakai, Schwaab, Niedermeier, Rausch – Boka, Khedira – Harnik, Maxim, Traoré – Abdellaoue
Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Langkamp, Kobiashvili, van den Bergh – Hosogai, Niemeyer – Ndjeng, Cigerci, Allagui – Ramos
Luhukay has key players available for selection again after injury, with midfielder Änis Ben-Hatira and defender John Anthony Brooks back in the mix. The Dutchman is still however without his influential captain Fabian Lustenberger, as well Alexander Baumjohann. Winter signing goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein resumed training at the beginning of the week, but the Stuttgart clash comes too soon for him, so the role of second choice stopper goes again to Marius Gersbeck. Hany Mukhtar and Per Skjelbred have the flu and miss the trip to southern Germany.
100% effort week in week out
Although Hertha BSC have lost three times since the winter break, things remain calm at the club. After all, as manager Michael Preetz rightly pointed out ahead of the game: "We have not forgotten where we came from. Other clubs would be happy with our points tally." The fact is that Hertha were not thrashed in any of those losing games and looked likely to take points in all of them - which gives cause for optimism ahead of Saturday's crucial encounter. Änis Ben-Hatira hit the nail on the head as he said this week: "We lack efficiency and consistency in front of goal. That is all that people can accuse us of." It is about giving 100% week in week out, like on recent travels where Hertha won four of their last games.
To describe Stuttgart's current situation as difficult would vastly underestimate the matter. Their manager and former Hertha striker Fredi Bobic knows: "That we have only cup finals ahead of us for the rest of the season." Stuttgart are in the mire after losing all six of their last league games. They have yet to collect any points since the winter break and have conceded a dozen goals - second only to HSV. Their defence looks vulnerable and the goals have dried up too. The suspension of danger man Vedad Ibisevic doesn't help. Bobic again: "We have to focus solely on our next game without any outside distractions. We have changed the tone and intensity in training in an effort to get the players to pull closer together."
Thomas Schneider is without his main axis, with keeper Sven Ulreich, midfielder Christian Gentner and striker Vedad Ibisevic all performing under par. Moritz Leitner is also suspended. Schneider: "We can only overcome this negative run with small successes. Central defender Georg Niedermeier says that anyone not towing the line can "expect trouble."
Possible line-ups:
VfB Stuttgart: Ulreich – Sakai, Schwaab, Niedermeier, Rausch – Boka, Khedira – Harnik, Maxim, Traoré – Abdellaoue
Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Langkamp, Kobiashvili, van den Bergh – Hosogai, Niemeyer – Ndjeng, Cigerci, Allagui – Ramos