Teams | August 24, 2014 at 05:01 PM
2-2-home draw for starters
2-2-home draw for starters
Two goals from Julian Schieber only secured a point.
Berlin - Hertha BSC entertained Werder Bremen in the opening game of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season, in front of 59,672 at the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Despite leading 2-0 at one stage, the capital city side were left rueing missed chances as Werder fought their way back to snatch a 2-2 draw. Hertha fielded four new signings in their starting line-up: John Heitinga, Julian Schieber, Genki Haraguchi and Roy Beerens all got the nod from coach Jos Luhukay. Jens Hegeler was on the bench at first, while Valentin Stocker and Marvin Plattenhardt did not make the squad. As was the case in the recent DFB Cup opener, Ronny pulled the strings up front in midfield. Baumjohann missed out after picking up a muscular strain in training as did Tolga Cigerci.
Both teams strived to breach each others defence early on and the visitors fell foul of Hertha's offside trap three times during the opening minutes. But Hertha had seen enough. They moved up a gear and broke the deadlock with their first real attack of the game, as a pinpoint Beerens cross was nodded home by Schieber (16.). The home side continued to create useful scoring chances. The visitors had their keeper Raphael Wolf to thank that the score remained 0-1 form their perspective for so long. The Bremen stopper tipped a 25 metre Ronny free kick over his crossbar (19.), and also came out on top as the Brazilian got a shot away from an acute angle moments later (20.). Wolf was in action again only seconds later to thwart Schieber who bore down on him alone after being superbly set up by Ronny (21.). Only 60 seconds later Beerens tried his luck from a tight angle, but the ball flew narrowly wide of the left hand post (22.).
Julian Schieber at the double
As that pressure period from Hertha relented Bremen tried to mount some attacks of their own, but the home defence looked tight. Hertha's first chance came from a set piece, but the free kick taken by Zlatko Junuzovic only landed on top of the goal being kept by Thomas Kraft (31.). Hertha looked much more dangerous when they used their men down the wings. Haraguchi headed a Beerens cross past the top right hand corner of the goal (39.). The best chance of the half fell to Schieber, as Bremen keeper Wolf could only parry a Ronny free kick to the feet of the Hertha striker, who failed to connect with the ball properly, allowing Werder skipper Clemens Fritz to clear the ball away from close to his own goal line (43.). Hertha deservedly led 1-0 at halftime.
The home side emerged unchanged for the start of the second half, while Bremen boss Robin Dutt brought on some more fire power, with Davie Selke replacing Felix Kroos. Hertha made the brighter start too. Ronny did well to win possession in midfield before finding Haraguchi, whose shot was blocked, but the ball landed at the feet of Schieber who had little trouble making it 2-0 to Hertha (47.). Then Bremen fought back out of the blue, as a harmless looking free kick was headed home by former Hertha man Assani Lukimya (52.). Schieber did well to work his way in the Bremen box where he fed Beerens, who could only drag the ball wide of a post (54.). Moments later Kraft saved the first effort from Franco di Santo, but the rebound was nodded home by the Argentinian to make it 2-2 (55.).
Heitinga "goal" disallowed
Hertha were in no mood to hand their heads though. They tried to fight back but a Schieber header flew just wide of target (57.) and five minutes later Ronny followed suit with a shot from the edge of the area (62.). Bremen had smelt blood and sensed that a victory was possible. They mounted dangerous counter attacks with lots of tempo. Lubhukay reacted by bringing on new signing Hegeler for Niemeyer. Shortly afterwards striker Sandro Wagner replaced Ronny. Hertha were sasly lacking that final telling pass during the latter stages of the game. Langkamp was ruled offside at a free kick (81.), Haraguchi's pass into the middle following a mazy run found no takers (82.). Heitinga then "scored" with a header from a corner, but the referee had seen that he had pushed an opponent to the ground and rightly disallowed the goal (84.).
Kraft then needed two bites of the cherry to thwart Werder youngster Selke (87.). There were two minutes added on and Wagner had the final chance of the game, but failed to get enough power or direction onto his header (90.). So the game ended in a 2-2 draw. Next Saturday (30.08.14, 3.30 pm) Luhukay and Co. are on their teavels where they take on Champions League participants Bayer Leverkusen in their own back yard.
Both teams strived to breach each others defence early on and the visitors fell foul of Hertha's offside trap three times during the opening minutes. But Hertha had seen enough. They moved up a gear and broke the deadlock with their first real attack of the game, as a pinpoint Beerens cross was nodded home by Schieber (16.). The home side continued to create useful scoring chances. The visitors had their keeper Raphael Wolf to thank that the score remained 0-1 form their perspective for so long. The Bremen stopper tipped a 25 metre Ronny free kick over his crossbar (19.), and also came out on top as the Brazilian got a shot away from an acute angle moments later (20.). Wolf was in action again only seconds later to thwart Schieber who bore down on him alone after being superbly set up by Ronny (21.). Only 60 seconds later Beerens tried his luck from a tight angle, but the ball flew narrowly wide of the left hand post (22.).
Julian Schieber at the double
As that pressure period from Hertha relented Bremen tried to mount some attacks of their own, but the home defence looked tight. Hertha's first chance came from a set piece, but the free kick taken by Zlatko Junuzovic only landed on top of the goal being kept by Thomas Kraft (31.). Hertha looked much more dangerous when they used their men down the wings. Haraguchi headed a Beerens cross past the top right hand corner of the goal (39.). The best chance of the half fell to Schieber, as Bremen keeper Wolf could only parry a Ronny free kick to the feet of the Hertha striker, who failed to connect with the ball properly, allowing Werder skipper Clemens Fritz to clear the ball away from close to his own goal line (43.). Hertha deservedly led 1-0 at halftime.
The home side emerged unchanged for the start of the second half, while Bremen boss Robin Dutt brought on some more fire power, with Davie Selke replacing Felix Kroos. Hertha made the brighter start too. Ronny did well to win possession in midfield before finding Haraguchi, whose shot was blocked, but the ball landed at the feet of Schieber who had little trouble making it 2-0 to Hertha (47.). Then Bremen fought back out of the blue, as a harmless looking free kick was headed home by former Hertha man Assani Lukimya (52.). Schieber did well to work his way in the Bremen box where he fed Beerens, who could only drag the ball wide of a post (54.). Moments later Kraft saved the first effort from Franco di Santo, but the rebound was nodded home by the Argentinian to make it 2-2 (55.).
Heitinga "goal" disallowed
Hertha were in no mood to hand their heads though. They tried to fight back but a Schieber header flew just wide of target (57.) and five minutes later Ronny followed suit with a shot from the edge of the area (62.). Bremen had smelt blood and sensed that a victory was possible. They mounted dangerous counter attacks with lots of tempo. Lubhukay reacted by bringing on new signing Hegeler for Niemeyer. Shortly afterwards striker Sandro Wagner replaced Ronny. Hertha were sasly lacking that final telling pass during the latter stages of the game. Langkamp was ruled offside at a free kick (81.), Haraguchi's pass into the middle following a mazy run found no takers (82.). Heitinga then "scored" with a header from a corner, but the referee had seen that he had pushed an opponent to the ground and rightly disallowed the goal (84.).
Kraft then needed two bites of the cherry to thwart Werder youngster Selke (87.). There were two minutes added on and Wagner had the final chance of the game, but failed to get enough power or direction onto his header (90.). So the game ended in a 2-2 draw. Next Saturday (30.08.14, 3.30 pm) Luhukay and Co. are on their teavels where they take on Champions League participants Bayer Leverkusen in their own back yard.