Teams | August 18, 2014 at 02:33 AM
Tough season-opener
Tough season-opener
Hertha BSC start the new season on Saturday (16.08.14), with a DFB Cup round one trip to Viktoria Köln.
Berlin - The game at the Sportpark Höhenberg stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick off 3.30 pm) signals the start of the 2014/15 season for the capital city club. Hosts Viktoria Köln on the other hand are well into their league season, winning both of their opening games to head the Regionalliga West table. They are strongly fancied for promotion this term and are in no mood to give up top spot just yet. The game will not be easy for Hertha, but of course as a Bundesliga side they are expected to progress to round two. "We must not be over-confident and underestimate them. We will have to get stuck in from the off to beat Viktoria", knows Hertha head coach Jos Luhukay.
That humility has a good reason, because Hertha's recent performances in the cup have not been good to say the least. That is why everyone is fully focused on the job at hand. Luhukay can pick his starting line-up from an almost fully fit squad. Long term casualty Tolga Cigerci is still injured, while for captain Fabian Lustenberger, the game comes a little early. Becuase of the amount of fit men, some will be disappointed over the coming season. This time the likes of Johannes van den Bergh, Valentin Stocker and Sami Allagui did not make the squad.
Successful pre-season
Hertha BSC played a total of 10 pre-season games of which six were won, three drawn, and the only defeat came at the hands of current Europa League winners FC Seville. Although the results of such games are not all that important, they do serve as a slight pointer as to where the team are at the current time. Obviously the team will not be at 100% right now as everyone knows. But that must not be used as an excuse on Saturday, as Hertha Striker Sami Allagui pointed out as he said this week: "Of course we want to progress, over 90 minutes if possible. But if we have to play 120 minutes so be it. The only important thing is progression!"
But that is the aim of both teams, and the home side are currently oozing confidence. Their midfielder Mike Wunderlich: "We played well in recent games, producing convincing performances. We know that we are in with a chance." Viktoria won both of their two opening league games and top the Regionalliga West table with a goal difference of 7:1. Despite that fact their coach - the former Hertha pro 'Pele' Wollitz is trying to dampen down expectations. He told us ahead of the game: "We know that we are very much the underdogs. In reality we shouldn't have a chance against a top flight side." But Viktoria Köln are not there just to make up the numbers. Wunderlich again: "Even if we only have a minimal chance we intend to take it."
DFB Cup debut for Viktoria
Viktoria boss Wollitz can also choose from a fully fit squad, with the exception of injured duo Marcel Deelen and Gaetano Manno. Tgheir keeper is the former Hertha stopper Nico Pellatz. He has recovered from a calf problem and will face his former club. The DFB Cup encounter will be the very first for the home side, who qualified by winning the Mittelrhein Cup, beating FC Wegberg-Beeck in the final.
It goes without saying that Hertha are duty-bound to win on Saturday: "We are well prepared and should be able to win on Saturday", said Hertha manager Michael Preetz at the pre-match press conference before adding: "The game is of great importance regarding how we start the new season." After such a positive pre-season period, everyone at Hertha is hoping that Saturday's result will reflect the current upbeat mood at the club. Luhukay hit the nail on the head as he said before the encounter: "We know it will not be easy, but we are only focusing on ourselves and are duty-bound to reach the second round, and will do everything in order to achieve that goal."
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Heitinga, Langkamp, Plattenhardt - Hegeler, Hosogai - Beerens, Baumjohann, Haraguchi - Schieber
Viktoria Köln: Pellatz - Koronkiewicz, Reiche, Brzenska, Schäfer - Staffeldt – Pagano, Nottbeck, Wunderlich, Dej - Candan
That humility has a good reason, because Hertha's recent performances in the cup have not been good to say the least. That is why everyone is fully focused on the job at hand. Luhukay can pick his starting line-up from an almost fully fit squad. Long term casualty Tolga Cigerci is still injured, while for captain Fabian Lustenberger, the game comes a little early. Becuase of the amount of fit men, some will be disappointed over the coming season. This time the likes of Johannes van den Bergh, Valentin Stocker and Sami Allagui did not make the squad.
Successful pre-season
Hertha BSC played a total of 10 pre-season games of which six were won, three drawn, and the only defeat came at the hands of current Europa League winners FC Seville. Although the results of such games are not all that important, they do serve as a slight pointer as to where the team are at the current time. Obviously the team will not be at 100% right now as everyone knows. But that must not be used as an excuse on Saturday, as Hertha Striker Sami Allagui pointed out as he said this week: "Of course we want to progress, over 90 minutes if possible. But if we have to play 120 minutes so be it. The only important thing is progression!"
But that is the aim of both teams, and the home side are currently oozing confidence. Their midfielder Mike Wunderlich: "We played well in recent games, producing convincing performances. We know that we are in with a chance." Viktoria won both of their two opening league games and top the Regionalliga West table with a goal difference of 7:1. Despite that fact their coach - the former Hertha pro 'Pele' Wollitz is trying to dampen down expectations. He told us ahead of the game: "We know that we are very much the underdogs. In reality we shouldn't have a chance against a top flight side." But Viktoria Köln are not there just to make up the numbers. Wunderlich again: "Even if we only have a minimal chance we intend to take it."
DFB Cup debut for Viktoria
Viktoria boss Wollitz can also choose from a fully fit squad, with the exception of injured duo Marcel Deelen and Gaetano Manno. Tgheir keeper is the former Hertha stopper Nico Pellatz. He has recovered from a calf problem and will face his former club. The DFB Cup encounter will be the very first for the home side, who qualified by winning the Mittelrhein Cup, beating FC Wegberg-Beeck in the final.
It goes without saying that Hertha are duty-bound to win on Saturday: "We are well prepared and should be able to win on Saturday", said Hertha manager Michael Preetz at the pre-match press conference before adding: "The game is of great importance regarding how we start the new season." After such a positive pre-season period, everyone at Hertha is hoping that Saturday's result will reflect the current upbeat mood at the club. Luhukay hit the nail on the head as he said before the encounter: "We know it will not be easy, but we are only focusing on ourselves and are duty-bound to reach the second round, and will do everything in order to achieve that goal."
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Heitinga, Langkamp, Plattenhardt - Hegeler, Hosogai - Beerens, Baumjohann, Haraguchi - Schieber
Viktoria Köln: Pellatz - Koronkiewicz, Reiche, Brzenska, Schäfer - Staffeldt – Pagano, Nottbeck, Wunderlich, Dej - Candan