Teams | November 23, 2014 at 12:08 AM
Away win!
Away win!
Hertha BSC beat 1. FC Köln 2-1 through goals by Roy Beerens and Marcel Ndjeng.
Cologne - Hertha won their first away win of the current Bundesliga season on Saturday evening (22.11.14). The capital city side beat newly-promoted 1. FC Köln 2-1 in front of 50,000 at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion on Bundesliga matchday 12. The visitors began the game with a newly-formed defence: Nico Schulz returned at left back from injury, while central defence consisted of John Anthony Brooks and Jens Hegeler for the first time, while Marcel Ndjeng played at left back for the injured Pekarik. Änis Ben-Hatira also celebrated his comeback from injury as did striker Julian Schieber, who got the nod over top scorer Salomon Kalou. The home side made only one change, with Gerhardt being preferred to Matuschy
The opening exchanges were dominated by both defences. Hertha allowed the home side more of the ball, but they were unable to breach the newly-formed Berlin back line. Berlin boss Jos Luhukay’s men had hoped to change quickly from defence to attack but failed to threaten when they did so. Hardly surprising then that the first noteworthy chance came from a corner when Hosogai did just enough to stop Anthony Ujah getting a decent shot away (16.). Moments later the home side pounced on a Hertha mistake made in midfield, but once again Ujah was thwarted, this time by the leg of Hegeler.
Nice work leads to opener
Hertha then began to venture forward more. On 20 minutes Valentin Stocker failed to connect with a cross from Schulz and a decent chance was missed. Eight minutes later though Hertha went one better, as Roy Beerens cut in from the right wing before opening the scoring with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the Köln net (28.). Ben-Hatira won a free kick which was sent well wide of the left hand upright by Hegeler (36.). Ben-Hatira tested home keeper Timo Horn on the stroke of halftime. The visitors led 1-1 at the break.
Hertha emerged unchanged fort he second half and won a series of corners early on. Captain for the day Skjelbred tried his luck from distance, but his effort flew well wide of target. Köln’s Olkowski was more accurate, but Berlin stopper Kraft secured the ball at the second attempt (55.). All of a sudden Ujah found himself advancing on Kraft alone, and kept his cool in the one on one situation to equalise for the home side (58.). The game livened up from then on. Peter Niemeyer (just having replaced Stocker) forced a superb save from home keeper Horn. The resulting corner saw Horn make a timely save to prevent a Brooks header from hitting the back of the net. Moments later at the other end Ujah put a shot onto the top of the Berlin crossbar following an accurate cross (63.).
Ndjeng free kick seals crucial victory
Genki Haraguchi then replaced Ben-Hatira up front. Luhukay also brought on Kalou for Schieber. Köln’s Olkowski had a good chance to fire his side ahead, but his shot flew wide of Kraft’s right hand post 83.). It took a further set piece to give Hertha the lead, as Ndjeng fired a direct free kick against the wall. The ball took a wicked deflection off that wall and Horn could only look on in horror as the ball trickled past him and into the net (86.). Skjelbread had a chance to put the game to bed deep into injury time, but Horn touched his effort from an acute angle around a post (90. +2).
Hertha’s defence remained solid for the remaining minutes of the game, and the visitors celebrated their first away win with the large contingent of travelling fans. On matchday 13 Hertha face a game without any kind of pressure whatsoever, as they host title-favourites Bayern Munich at the Olympic stadium in Berlin next Saturday (29.11.14, 3.30 pm).
The opening exchanges were dominated by both defences. Hertha allowed the home side more of the ball, but they were unable to breach the newly-formed Berlin back line. Berlin boss Jos Luhukay’s men had hoped to change quickly from defence to attack but failed to threaten when they did so. Hardly surprising then that the first noteworthy chance came from a corner when Hosogai did just enough to stop Anthony Ujah getting a decent shot away (16.). Moments later the home side pounced on a Hertha mistake made in midfield, but once again Ujah was thwarted, this time by the leg of Hegeler.
Nice work leads to opener
Hertha then began to venture forward more. On 20 minutes Valentin Stocker failed to connect with a cross from Schulz and a decent chance was missed. Eight minutes later though Hertha went one better, as Roy Beerens cut in from the right wing before opening the scoring with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the Köln net (28.). Ben-Hatira won a free kick which was sent well wide of the left hand upright by Hegeler (36.). Ben-Hatira tested home keeper Timo Horn on the stroke of halftime. The visitors led 1-1 at the break.
Hertha emerged unchanged fort he second half and won a series of corners early on. Captain for the day Skjelbred tried his luck from distance, but his effort flew well wide of target. Köln’s Olkowski was more accurate, but Berlin stopper Kraft secured the ball at the second attempt (55.). All of a sudden Ujah found himself advancing on Kraft alone, and kept his cool in the one on one situation to equalise for the home side (58.). The game livened up from then on. Peter Niemeyer (just having replaced Stocker) forced a superb save from home keeper Horn. The resulting corner saw Horn make a timely save to prevent a Brooks header from hitting the back of the net. Moments later at the other end Ujah put a shot onto the top of the Berlin crossbar following an accurate cross (63.).
Ndjeng free kick seals crucial victory
Genki Haraguchi then replaced Ben-Hatira up front. Luhukay also brought on Kalou for Schieber. Köln’s Olkowski had a good chance to fire his side ahead, but his shot flew wide of Kraft’s right hand post 83.). It took a further set piece to give Hertha the lead, as Ndjeng fired a direct free kick against the wall. The ball took a wicked deflection off that wall and Horn could only look on in horror as the ball trickled past him and into the net (86.). Skjelbread had a chance to put the game to bed deep into injury time, but Horn touched his effort from an acute angle around a post (90. +2).
Hertha’s defence remained solid for the remaining minutes of the game, and the visitors celebrated their first away win with the large contingent of travelling fans. On matchday 13 Hertha face a game without any kind of pressure whatsoever, as they host title-favourites Bayern Munich at the Olympic stadium in Berlin next Saturday (29.11.14, 3.30 pm).