Teams | February 5, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Effort not rewarded
Effort not rewarded
After a decent opening half, Hertha BSC lost 0-1 at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
Berlin - After losing 0-2 in Bremen last Sunday, Hertha entertained Bayer Leverkusen at the Olympic stadium in the capital city on Wednesday night (04.02.14) on Bundesliga matchday 19. Hertha dropped into second bottom place in the Bundesliga table after a Stefan Kießling goal shortly after break gave the visitors a 1-0 victory. Home coach Jos Luhukay once again rang the changes to his starting line-up, with Brooks, Stocker, Schulz and Ronny replaced by Johannes van den Bergh, Marcel Ndjeng, Genki Haraguchi and Roy Beerens. Hajime Hosogai returned from suspension, replacing injured defender Niemeyer Luhukay played a 4-1-4-1- system with Hegeler and Ndjeng in defensive midfield. Bayer coach Roger Schmidt replaced Spahic and Drimic with Papadopoulos and Brandt.
The visitors tried to take the initiative early on with midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu blasting a shot well wide of target after only 10 seconds. Following a Leverkusen corner, Hertha won the ball and launched a swift counter attack, during which Haraguchi failed to play a square ball to Beerens who was alone in acres of space, Leverkusen cleared the ball away for a corner. Hertha's first chance came from that corner, but Hosogai unmarked at the near post struck the post with a header from only two metres out. To be fair it wasn't a sitter but certainly a good chance (8.). The game evened out and Hertha did well, attacking the visitors as soon as they had the ball.
Kießling scores
Neither front line were able to breach each other's defences. Calhanoglou got a shot away from distance but home keeper Thomas Kraft punched the ball away and Hosogai was able to finally clear the danger (39.). Hertha won the ball off Leverkusen as the visitors mounted a counter attack, Beerens found Schieber with a fine through ball, but the Hertha striker allowed himself to be forced wide and his effort only hit the side-netting (43.). It was the final highlight in an intensive first half which ended 0-0.
Neither coach made any changes at the break and Leverkusen caught Hertha cold with their first chance of the second half: Wendell won the ball on the left and crossed to the far post where former Germany striker Kießling beat Kraft to the ball and bundled the ball over the line from point blank range to give Bayer the lead (49.). The home side needed time to deal with that setback, Schieber was sent into the box with a good pass, but Hilbert did enough with a challenge which allowed team mate Papadopoulos to clear his lines (64.). Leverkusen continued to threaten, Bellarabi crossed from the right, but Kraft was on his guard to prevent Kießling from doubling Leverkusen's lead (67.).
Langkamp sent off in the last minute
Luhukay introduced fresh legs to the fray twenty minutes from the end, bringing on Nico Schulz and Ronny for Beerens and Pekarik. Both sides failed to produce the final telling pass to the front men although the game remained hard-fought, Hertha gave their all but they were too hectic going forward, failing to provide the final "killer" pass. On 89 minutes Sebastian Langkamp was fouled, and the resulting free kick by Ronny from around 30 metres only found the wall. As if to add insult to injury, Langkamp was rightly sent off for a second bookable offence.
The game ended in a 1-0 for Leverkusen, which was disappointing after Hertha's first half display. The capital city side play again on Saturday (07.0215) away to 1. FSV Mainz 05.
(rd,war/City-Press)
The visitors tried to take the initiative early on with midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu blasting a shot well wide of target after only 10 seconds. Following a Leverkusen corner, Hertha won the ball and launched a swift counter attack, during which Haraguchi failed to play a square ball to Beerens who was alone in acres of space, Leverkusen cleared the ball away for a corner. Hertha's first chance came from that corner, but Hosogai unmarked at the near post struck the post with a header from only two metres out. To be fair it wasn't a sitter but certainly a good chance (8.). The game evened out and Hertha did well, attacking the visitors as soon as they had the ball.
Kießling scores
Neither front line were able to breach each other's defences. Calhanoglou got a shot away from distance but home keeper Thomas Kraft punched the ball away and Hosogai was able to finally clear the danger (39.). Hertha won the ball off Leverkusen as the visitors mounted a counter attack, Beerens found Schieber with a fine through ball, but the Hertha striker allowed himself to be forced wide and his effort only hit the side-netting (43.). It was the final highlight in an intensive first half which ended 0-0.
Neither coach made any changes at the break and Leverkusen caught Hertha cold with their first chance of the second half: Wendell won the ball on the left and crossed to the far post where former Germany striker Kießling beat Kraft to the ball and bundled the ball over the line from point blank range to give Bayer the lead (49.). The home side needed time to deal with that setback, Schieber was sent into the box with a good pass, but Hilbert did enough with a challenge which allowed team mate Papadopoulos to clear his lines (64.). Leverkusen continued to threaten, Bellarabi crossed from the right, but Kraft was on his guard to prevent Kießling from doubling Leverkusen's lead (67.).
Langkamp sent off in the last minute
Luhukay introduced fresh legs to the fray twenty minutes from the end, bringing on Nico Schulz and Ronny for Beerens and Pekarik. Both sides failed to produce the final telling pass to the front men although the game remained hard-fought, Hertha gave their all but they were too hectic going forward, failing to provide the final "killer" pass. On 89 minutes Sebastian Langkamp was fouled, and the resulting free kick by Ronny from around 30 metres only found the wall. As if to add insult to injury, Langkamp was rightly sent off for a second bookable offence.
The game ended in a 1-0 for Leverkusen, which was disappointing after Hertha's first half display. The capital city side play again on Saturday (07.0215) away to 1. FSV Mainz 05.
(rd,war/City-Press)