Teams | March 24, 2014 at 08:44 PM
Hoping for a miracle
Hoping for a miracle
On Tuesday night (25.03.14, 8.00 pm) Hertha entertain Bayern Munich in Berlin.
Berlin - A game under the flodlights at the wonderful Olympic stadium against last season's treble winners Bayern Munich – now there's something worth making the effort to see the action live for. The game of the year is upon us! The exact same thought had 76,197 people who will attend the eagerly-anticipated Bundesliga matchday 27 clash. Hertha recently lost their last two matches 0-3 against Hannover 96 and Gladbach respectively. The capital city side lacked penetration and scoring prowess in both games. Now Bayern visit Berlin hoping to secure the Bundesliga title with seven games still to go.
More or less the same squad from last week's Gladbach defeat is available for selection again. Veteran Georgian Levan Kobiashvili returns at the heart of defence, where there was a free spot anyway, after Sebastian Langkamp picked up a fifth booking of the season, so he is suspended for the visit of mighty Munich. As usual, Berlin coach Jos Luhukay did not reveal his starting line-up to the media at the pre-match press conference held in the capital city before the game. The Dutchman has several options open to him: Alexander Baumjohann played an hour for the reserves last Saturday but the Bayern game comes too early for him. His coach explained that the technically gifted man needs time playing against top opposition to find his rhythm again.
"Improve our own performance"
Luhukay reflecting on recent losses knows: "With the quality of our current squad we are unable to fully produce what is expected at Bundesliga level. We can do it for limited periods during games but not on a consistent basis.“ The team is going through a tough period at the moment, unable to rekindle the kind of form which raised so many eyebrows before the winter break. The Hertha boss added: „Other teams have the same problem we have. It is neither anything new or alarming, but simply reality. We don't want sympathy from anyone. It is always down the team and individual players to perform at their best.“ We have seen often this term that a good performance against Bayern does not always guarantee taking any points from the game.
The all-conquering Bavarians are marching from record to record. They recorded their 18th straight league win (record) against lowly SC Freiburg through two late goals from Schweinsteiger (82.) and Götze (86.). The win in Freiburg was Bayern's ninth on the bounce which is also a record, but that doesn't worry the club, who could secure the Bundesliga title should they win in Berlin. After both Borussia Dortmund and Schalke won last time out, Bayern now have the opportunity to retain the coveted title they won last season. Berlin-born former Hertha and now Bayern and Germany defender Jerome Boateng sees Tuesday's clash as extra special. He says: „It is a nice thought for me that we could become champions in Berlin where everything began for me.“
Can Hertha become the first team to beat Bayern this season? No chance - really?
Everything is going superbly for German football's serial“ Bundesliga champions. Apart from immenently being crowned Bundesliga champions they are also on course in the DFB Cup and the Champions League. The brand of FC Bayern is a money magnet worlwide. For decades Bayern have enjoyed hard earned respect from all four corners of the globe, and rightly so. Watching them this season as they blow away everyone who faces them, it sometimes looks like the opposition play them just waiting to hand over all three points and hope not to get a hiding. Bayern will travel to the capital city with their whole squad in case they win the title on Tuesday night. Holger Badstuber is a long term casualty, while midfielder Thiago who missed the Mainz game is apparently fit again and could feature against Hertha. Whichever team is fielded by super star coach Pep Guardiola Bayern have already planned in the three points at stake.
On paper Hertha don't have a chance – but that is exactly where Hertha's chance lies. Everyone expects an emphatic Bayern win, and that Tuesday's game will just prematurtely see them lift the Bundesliga silverware. Luhukay grinned broadly as he said this week: „We will just have to see how much resistance we can manage against them. Against Bayern your chance of victory is around 10%.“ Surely, Hertha players can remember how they pushed Bayern in Munich only to narrowly lose 2-3. Hertha are the only team to score twice against Bayern this season so why not on Tuesday night? Good luck lads, come on Hertha BSC!
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Kobiashvili, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Skjelbred - Ndjeng, Ronny, Schulz – Ramos
Bayern München: Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba - Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger - Robben, Götze, Ribery - Müller
More or less the same squad from last week's Gladbach defeat is available for selection again. Veteran Georgian Levan Kobiashvili returns at the heart of defence, where there was a free spot anyway, after Sebastian Langkamp picked up a fifth booking of the season, so he is suspended for the visit of mighty Munich. As usual, Berlin coach Jos Luhukay did not reveal his starting line-up to the media at the pre-match press conference held in the capital city before the game. The Dutchman has several options open to him: Alexander Baumjohann played an hour for the reserves last Saturday but the Bayern game comes too early for him. His coach explained that the technically gifted man needs time playing against top opposition to find his rhythm again.
"Improve our own performance"
Luhukay reflecting on recent losses knows: "With the quality of our current squad we are unable to fully produce what is expected at Bundesliga level. We can do it for limited periods during games but not on a consistent basis.“ The team is going through a tough period at the moment, unable to rekindle the kind of form which raised so many eyebrows before the winter break. The Hertha boss added: „Other teams have the same problem we have. It is neither anything new or alarming, but simply reality. We don't want sympathy from anyone. It is always down the team and individual players to perform at their best.“ We have seen often this term that a good performance against Bayern does not always guarantee taking any points from the game.
The all-conquering Bavarians are marching from record to record. They recorded their 18th straight league win (record) against lowly SC Freiburg through two late goals from Schweinsteiger (82.) and Götze (86.). The win in Freiburg was Bayern's ninth on the bounce which is also a record, but that doesn't worry the club, who could secure the Bundesliga title should they win in Berlin. After both Borussia Dortmund and Schalke won last time out, Bayern now have the opportunity to retain the coveted title they won last season. Berlin-born former Hertha and now Bayern and Germany defender Jerome Boateng sees Tuesday's clash as extra special. He says: „It is a nice thought for me that we could become champions in Berlin where everything began for me.“
Can Hertha become the first team to beat Bayern this season? No chance - really?
Everything is going superbly for German football's serial“ Bundesliga champions. Apart from immenently being crowned Bundesliga champions they are also on course in the DFB Cup and the Champions League. The brand of FC Bayern is a money magnet worlwide. For decades Bayern have enjoyed hard earned respect from all four corners of the globe, and rightly so. Watching them this season as they blow away everyone who faces them, it sometimes looks like the opposition play them just waiting to hand over all three points and hope not to get a hiding. Bayern will travel to the capital city with their whole squad in case they win the title on Tuesday night. Holger Badstuber is a long term casualty, while midfielder Thiago who missed the Mainz game is apparently fit again and could feature against Hertha. Whichever team is fielded by super star coach Pep Guardiola Bayern have already planned in the three points at stake.
On paper Hertha don't have a chance – but that is exactly where Hertha's chance lies. Everyone expects an emphatic Bayern win, and that Tuesday's game will just prematurtely see them lift the Bundesliga silverware. Luhukay grinned broadly as he said this week: „We will just have to see how much resistance we can manage against them. Against Bayern your chance of victory is around 10%.“ Surely, Hertha players can remember how they pushed Bayern in Munich only to narrowly lose 2-3. Hertha are the only team to score twice against Bayern this season so why not on Tuesday night? Good luck lads, come on Hertha BSC!
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Kobiashvili, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Skjelbred - Ndjeng, Ronny, Schulz – Ramos
Bayern München: Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba - Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger - Robben, Götze, Ribery - Müller