Teams | March 22, 2014 at 06:14 PM
More away success?
More away success?
Hertha BSC take on Borussia Mönchengladbach away on Saturday evening (22.03.14, 6.30 pm).
Berlin - The game on early Saturday evening promises to be a cracker, as the team under former Hertha boss Lucien Favre host the capital city side who have impressed on their travels so far this season. Hertha have taken 19 points from a dozen away games so far which means 5th place in the Bundesliga away table. Gladbach are strong at home, as their record of 26 points from 13 games underlines. They are second in the home table. Last weekend they ended a nine game winless run by winning 2-1 away to last season’s Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, so Hertha know what to expect on Saturday.
This week Tolga Cigerci, Fabian Lustenberger, Marcel Ndjeng and Änis Ben-Hatira all resumed training following injury, but captain Lustenberger and midfielder Cigerci could not participate in everything the team did, unlike Ndjeng and Ben-Hatira, who didn't look to have any problems. Lustenberger, Baumjohann, Cigerci, Ndjeng and Sascha Burchert are not in the squad for the Gladbach clash. Alexander Baumjohann is however in the reserve squad to gather match practise. Sebastian Langkamp, Peter Pekarik, Hajime Hosogai and Ronny are all on four bookings so a further card on Saturday would see them miss the eagerly-awaited visit of all-conquering Bayern Munich to the Olympic stadium next Tuesday evening. Hertha coach Jos Luhukay said this week: "We have been without key players through injury and at the moment we are unable to fully compensate those losses. Now it is about players compensating for less skill with their own mentality."
Analyse and look to Saturday
Hertha BSC have worked on dealing with the dismal 0-3 home loss to Hannover 96 this week. Despite Gladbach's fine home record Luhukay was in fighting mood as he said this week: "We are not scarted and won't be hiding." After playing Bayern on Tuesday night Luhukay's men then take on Schalke away from home on Friday night (28.03.14), so taking something home from the game on Saturday is even more important: "Of course we are capable of winning in Gladbach. We are still having a good season even if things haven't gone quite so well lately", knows Berlin keeper Thomas Kraft .
Gladbach's shock win in Dortmund last time out was a huge boost for them and gave them some much-needed success. Borussia hope to carry on the good work against Hertha but Favre warned: "We face an excellent away team. We will have to play well and to our limit. Hertha are good at switching from defence to attack, play in a clever manner and are very dangerous." Gladbach have been able to rely on their front pair of Raffael (13 goals) and Max Kurse (9). In all Gladbach have scored 43 league goals so far. Only four teams have a better Bundesliga tally. They are within reach of the Europa League places and a strong finish to the season could even see them qualify for the Champions League.
Familiar faces
The Rhine-based hosts are in danger of being without key duo Filip Daems and Christoph Kramer on Saturday. While skipper Daems has a rib injury, midfielder Kramer is struggling with an calf problem. Late fitness tests will determine whether or not they can face Hertha. Out for certain are left back Oscar Wendt (knee) and suspended midfielder Harvard Nordveit, who would have relished the chance to take on his compatriot Per Skjelbred. On the good news side Tony Jantschke and Granit Xhakamake a welcome return to the team. Another mouth watering prospect is of course the battle of the brothers, as Hertha's Ronny faces brother Raffael across the halfway line for the first time ever.
An exciting encounter is expected, as several players (and both coaches for that matter) face their former clubs. Hertha beat Gladbach 1-0 in Berlin earlier in the season so Borussia have a point to prove on Saturday. Hertha will be accompanied by 1,700 travelling fans. Luhukay had the final word as he said: "In Gladbach we will need a tight defence because they are very efficient up front." Hertha are too so bring it on!
Possible line-ups:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: ter Stegen - Korb, Stranzl, Dominguez, Daems - Xhaka, Kramer - Herrmann, Arango - Raffael, Kruse
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Skjelbred - Allagui, Ronny, Schulz - Ramos
This week Tolga Cigerci, Fabian Lustenberger, Marcel Ndjeng and Änis Ben-Hatira all resumed training following injury, but captain Lustenberger and midfielder Cigerci could not participate in everything the team did, unlike Ndjeng and Ben-Hatira, who didn't look to have any problems. Lustenberger, Baumjohann, Cigerci, Ndjeng and Sascha Burchert are not in the squad for the Gladbach clash. Alexander Baumjohann is however in the reserve squad to gather match practise. Sebastian Langkamp, Peter Pekarik, Hajime Hosogai and Ronny are all on four bookings so a further card on Saturday would see them miss the eagerly-awaited visit of all-conquering Bayern Munich to the Olympic stadium next Tuesday evening. Hertha coach Jos Luhukay said this week: "We have been without key players through injury and at the moment we are unable to fully compensate those losses. Now it is about players compensating for less skill with their own mentality."
Analyse and look to Saturday
Hertha BSC have worked on dealing with the dismal 0-3 home loss to Hannover 96 this week. Despite Gladbach's fine home record Luhukay was in fighting mood as he said this week: "We are not scarted and won't be hiding." After playing Bayern on Tuesday night Luhukay's men then take on Schalke away from home on Friday night (28.03.14), so taking something home from the game on Saturday is even more important: "Of course we are capable of winning in Gladbach. We are still having a good season even if things haven't gone quite so well lately", knows Berlin keeper Thomas Kraft .
Gladbach's shock win in Dortmund last time out was a huge boost for them and gave them some much-needed success. Borussia hope to carry on the good work against Hertha but Favre warned: "We face an excellent away team. We will have to play well and to our limit. Hertha are good at switching from defence to attack, play in a clever manner and are very dangerous." Gladbach have been able to rely on their front pair of Raffael (13 goals) and Max Kurse (9). In all Gladbach have scored 43 league goals so far. Only four teams have a better Bundesliga tally. They are within reach of the Europa League places and a strong finish to the season could even see them qualify for the Champions League.
Familiar faces
The Rhine-based hosts are in danger of being without key duo Filip Daems and Christoph Kramer on Saturday. While skipper Daems has a rib injury, midfielder Kramer is struggling with an calf problem. Late fitness tests will determine whether or not they can face Hertha. Out for certain are left back Oscar Wendt (knee) and suspended midfielder Harvard Nordveit, who would have relished the chance to take on his compatriot Per Skjelbred. On the good news side Tony Jantschke and Granit Xhakamake a welcome return to the team. Another mouth watering prospect is of course the battle of the brothers, as Hertha's Ronny faces brother Raffael across the halfway line for the first time ever.
An exciting encounter is expected, as several players (and both coaches for that matter) face their former clubs. Hertha beat Gladbach 1-0 in Berlin earlier in the season so Borussia have a point to prove on Saturday. Hertha will be accompanied by 1,700 travelling fans. Luhukay had the final word as he said: "In Gladbach we will need a tight defence because they are very efficient up front." Hertha are too so bring it on!
Possible line-ups:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: ter Stegen - Korb, Stranzl, Dominguez, Daems - Xhaka, Kramer - Herrmann, Arango - Raffael, Kruse
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Skjelbred - Allagui, Ronny, Schulz - Ramos