Teams | September 14, 2015 at 11:28 AM
Home win!
Home win!
Hertha BSC beat VfB Stuttgart thanks to goals from Haraguchi and Lustenberger.
Berlin - A crowd of 45,994 inside the Olympic stadium in Berlin saw the home side record their first home win of the new season as VfB Stuttgart hit town for a Bundesliga matchday 4 encounter on Saturday afternoon (12.09.15). In the first game since the international break Genki Haraguchi opened the scoring, before the visitors equalised through Sunjic. Home skipper Fabian Lustenberger scored a rare goal on the stroke of half time to put the capital city side back in the driving seat.
Home coach Pal Dardai made three changes to the side which lost at Borussia Dortmund last time out: Defensive duo Peter Pekarik and John Anthony Brooks were ruled out through injury and Johannes van den Bergh was on the bench at first, alongside new signing and former Stuttgart man Vedad Ibisevic. Mitchell Weiser made his first start for Hertha at right back, while Roy Beerens and Salomon Kalou returned to Dardai’s starting line-up. Stuttgart also made three changes to their side which lost 1-4 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 3: Suspended keeper Przemyslaw Tyton handed the gloves over to Bundesliga debutant Odisseas Vlachodimos, while Toni Sunjic and Florian Klein replaced Timo Baumgartl and Daniel Schwaab respectively.
Home coach Pal Dardai made three changes to the side which lost at Borussia Dortmund last time out: Defensive duo Peter Pekarik and John Anthony Brooks were ruled out through injury and Johannes van den Bergh was on the bench at first, alongside new signing and former Stuttgart man Vedad Ibisevic. Mitchell Weiser made his first start for Hertha at right back, while Roy Beerens and Salomon Kalou returned to Dardai’s starting line-up. Stuttgart also made three changes to their side which lost 1-4 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 3: Suspended keeper Przemyslaw Tyton handed the gloves over to Bundesliga debutant Odisseas Vlachodimos, while Toni Sunjic and Florian Klein replaced Timo Baumgartl and Daniel Schwaab respectively.
The home side took the early initiative while the visitors sat back hoping to hit them on the counter attack. Hertha strung together some attractive passing combinations while they searched for a gap in the massed VfB defence. The first time they found one resulted in them breaking the deadlock as a good move down the right ended in Haraguchi breaking into the Stuttgart box and opening the scoring on 14 minutes. Stuttgart ended their defensive stance and a timely interception by Weiser thwarted Kostic just as he was about to pull the trigger (17.). Ginczek then nodded their second chance over the bar (26.). Stuttgart levelled ten minutes later from a set piece as awful marking at a free kick allowed Sunjic (in acres of space) to nod home the equaliser from seven metres out (36.). Beerens had to go off injured just before the break and was replaced by debutant Ibisevic who was enthusiastically welcomed to the fray by the home fans. Those fans were shaking their heads in wonder as Lustenberger gave Hertha the lead with a volley with the final kick of the half (45. +3). It was the Swiss battler’s third Bundesliga goal in 123 appearances and his first for 83 games. What a talking point for the half time break!
The home side emerged for the second half in determined mood and created the opening two chances, as Ibisevic rode a few tackles but missed the target and Kalou ran half of the length of the pitch before following suit (47 + 49.). Stuttgart were only dangerous at set pieces and Sunjic headed their next chance wide of the Berlin goal (57.). Niggly fouls interrupted the flow of the game but VfB subs Kruse and Maxim tried their luck only to be denied by home keeper Thomas Kraft and the outside netting respectively 70.). Dardai then replaced Kalou with another debutant Niklas Stark. The capital city side did just enough to nip any potential danger in the bud and keep the visitors away from their goal. Stuttgart won a series of corners but failed to convert any of them. Stocker missed a good chance to put Hertha 3-1 ahead deep into injury time at the end of the second half.
Hertha deservedly beat Stuttgart 2-1 to record their opening home win of the season. The coped well under pressure and replied through Lustenberger’s volley at the perfect time. The capital city side could and maybe should have increased their lead early into the seond half but two goals turned out to be enough. Matchday 5 sees Dardai and Co. Make the hour long trip to the VW Arena, where Bundesliga runners up and DFB Cup holders VfL Wolfsburg await them on Saturday (19.09.15). That game kicks off at 3.30 pm.
(rd,tg,war/City-Press)
The home side emerged for the second half in determined mood and created the opening two chances, as Ibisevic rode a few tackles but missed the target and Kalou ran half of the length of the pitch before following suit (47 + 49.). Stuttgart were only dangerous at set pieces and Sunjic headed their next chance wide of the Berlin goal (57.). Niggly fouls interrupted the flow of the game but VfB subs Kruse and Maxim tried their luck only to be denied by home keeper Thomas Kraft and the outside netting respectively 70.). Dardai then replaced Kalou with another debutant Niklas Stark. The capital city side did just enough to nip any potential danger in the bud and keep the visitors away from their goal. Stuttgart won a series of corners but failed to convert any of them. Stocker missed a good chance to put Hertha 3-1 ahead deep into injury time at the end of the second half.
Hertha deservedly beat Stuttgart 2-1 to record their opening home win of the season. The coped well under pressure and replied through Lustenberger’s volley at the perfect time. The capital city side could and maybe should have increased their lead early into the seond half but two goals turned out to be enough. Matchday 5 sees Dardai and Co. Make the hour long trip to the VW Arena, where Bundesliga runners up and DFB Cup holders VfL Wolfsburg await them on Saturday (19.09.15). That game kicks off at 3.30 pm.
(rd,tg,war/City-Press)