Teams | May 10, 2014 at 02:00 AM
One final highlight
One final highlight
Dortmund visit the sold out Olympic stadium for the final game of the season.
Berlin - On Saturday (10.05.14, 3.30 pm), Hertha entertain star-studded Borussia Dortmund for the final game of the current Bundesliga season. The game will also be used to say goodbye: While Hertha's Columbian top scorer Adrian Ramos leaves Berlin to join Dortmund, veteran Georgian Levan Kobiashvili is hanging his playing boots up. Of course the home side want to end the season on a positive note and if possible maintain or even improve on their current placing in the table. But that won't be easy - Dortmund visit the capital city enjoying an 8 game unbeaten (6 wins and two draws) which has made them the in form side of Germany's top flight over recent weeks.
Hertha's list of walking wounded has lengthened recently. Everyone knows that the season of captain Fabian Lustenberger has been over for some time, but Ronny injured his right ankle against Bremen and will be sidelined for some time. Attacking midfielder Tolga Cigerci has a bruised foot and also misses the final game as does Alexander Baumjohann, whose knee problem has flared up again in recent games. Hertha coach Jos Luhukay: "It doesn't matter who plays. What is important is that everyone plays to their limit. As we faced them earlier in the season we had several players missing and nobody gave us a hope in that game." Hertha triumphed 2-1 that day at the magnificent Signal Iduna park.
"It's why you become a footballer"
It has been often pointed out by various pundits lately that the final experiences of an old season follow you into the new one. Some players are hoping to impress in order to make the World >Cup finals in Brazil next month. And last but by no means least: The Hertha fans who have supported the team so fantastically this season deserve to end the season with a smile on their faces at the sold out Olympic stadium where around 74,000 fans will be in attendance. Three points on Saturday could see Luhukay's men finish in the top ten - a fine achievement for a newly-promoted side. Luhukay is having nothing about any possibility of lack of motivation coming up. The Dutchman: "It is the kind of game you become a professional play for! You can play for Hertha BSC against Borussia Dortmund at a fantastic stadium in front of a huge sell out crowd. We also have to consider our fans who have given us such wonderful support all season. If you can't motivate yourself to perform well in such games when then?"
For Dortmund it is about maintaining the level of fine form they are currently in. They secured second place and Champions League football some time ago. The trip to Berlin promises to be anything but a stroll in the part. BVB's cult coach Jürgen Klopp warned ahead of the game: "Hertha play in a certain way which makes life uncomfortable for us, so we have to play good football, be quick and flexible in order to do our thing." Saturday marks the fist of two games at the Olympic stadium in only a week for Borussia. After rounding off the Bundesliga season on Saturday, they return to the capital city to lock horns with Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup final the following Saturday (17.05.14). So their current fine form comes just at the right time. They are enjoying the longest current unbeaten run and have been scoring for fun recently. Germany star Marco Reus in particular is on fire at the moment. He has been involved in 17 of his side's last 22 goals: "We take on a team with fantastic players and unbelievable quality", confirmed Luhukay at the pre-match press conference.
Dortmund so potent up front
The visitors are without long term injured duo Neven Subotic, Jakub Blaszczykowski (both after cruciate ligament surgery, Ilkay Gündogan (never ending back problem) and Sven Bender (infected pelvic bone). Things are looking brighter though for Oliver Kirch and Sebastian Kehl, who have also recently been sidelined through injury. While Kirch is fully training again and expected to be fit for Saturday, Kehl must await the result of a late fitness test. Their star striker Robert Lewandowski has missed some training this week, but is expected to be fit to play his final game for Borussia ahead of his money-bags move to Bayern next season. The Pole heads the top scorer list with 18 goals, followed by team mate Marco Reus and Hertha's Ramos, both on 16 goals.
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Kobiashvili - Ben-Hatira, Skjelbred, Allagui - Ramos
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Jojic, Sahin - Mkhitaryan, Reus, Großkreutz – Lewandowski
Hertha's list of walking wounded has lengthened recently. Everyone knows that the season of captain Fabian Lustenberger has been over for some time, but Ronny injured his right ankle against Bremen and will be sidelined for some time. Attacking midfielder Tolga Cigerci has a bruised foot and also misses the final game as does Alexander Baumjohann, whose knee problem has flared up again in recent games. Hertha coach Jos Luhukay: "It doesn't matter who plays. What is important is that everyone plays to their limit. As we faced them earlier in the season we had several players missing and nobody gave us a hope in that game." Hertha triumphed 2-1 that day at the magnificent Signal Iduna park.
"It's why you become a footballer"
It has been often pointed out by various pundits lately that the final experiences of an old season follow you into the new one. Some players are hoping to impress in order to make the World >Cup finals in Brazil next month. And last but by no means least: The Hertha fans who have supported the team so fantastically this season deserve to end the season with a smile on their faces at the sold out Olympic stadium where around 74,000 fans will be in attendance. Three points on Saturday could see Luhukay's men finish in the top ten - a fine achievement for a newly-promoted side. Luhukay is having nothing about any possibility of lack of motivation coming up. The Dutchman: "It is the kind of game you become a professional play for! You can play for Hertha BSC against Borussia Dortmund at a fantastic stadium in front of a huge sell out crowd. We also have to consider our fans who have given us such wonderful support all season. If you can't motivate yourself to perform well in such games when then?"
For Dortmund it is about maintaining the level of fine form they are currently in. They secured second place and Champions League football some time ago. The trip to Berlin promises to be anything but a stroll in the part. BVB's cult coach Jürgen Klopp warned ahead of the game: "Hertha play in a certain way which makes life uncomfortable for us, so we have to play good football, be quick and flexible in order to do our thing." Saturday marks the fist of two games at the Olympic stadium in only a week for Borussia. After rounding off the Bundesliga season on Saturday, they return to the capital city to lock horns with Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup final the following Saturday (17.05.14). So their current fine form comes just at the right time. They are enjoying the longest current unbeaten run and have been scoring for fun recently. Germany star Marco Reus in particular is on fire at the moment. He has been involved in 17 of his side's last 22 goals: "We take on a team with fantastic players and unbelievable quality", confirmed Luhukay at the pre-match press conference.
Dortmund so potent up front
The visitors are without long term injured duo Neven Subotic, Jakub Blaszczykowski (both after cruciate ligament surgery, Ilkay Gündogan (never ending back problem) and Sven Bender (infected pelvic bone). Things are looking brighter though for Oliver Kirch and Sebastian Kehl, who have also recently been sidelined through injury. While Kirch is fully training again and expected to be fit for Saturday, Kehl must await the result of a late fitness test. Their star striker Robert Lewandowski has missed some training this week, but is expected to be fit to play his final game for Borussia ahead of his money-bags move to Bayern next season. The Pole heads the top scorer list with 18 goals, followed by team mate Marco Reus and Hertha's Ramos, both on 16 goals.
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Langkamp, Brooks, van den Bergh - Hosogai, Kobiashvili - Ben-Hatira, Skjelbred, Allagui - Ramos
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Jojic, Sahin - Mkhitaryan, Reus, Großkreutz – Lewandowski