Teams | September 20, 2015 at 02:04 AM
Bitter defeat
Bitter defeat
Hertha BSC lost 0-2 at VfL Wolfsburg and lost key duo Langkamp and Kraft through injury.
Wolfsburg - A courageous performance was not enough for Hertha BSC on Saturday afternoon, as the capital city side went down 0-2 at DFB Cup holders and Champions League participants VfL Wolfsburg in front of a near capacity crowd at the VW Arena on Bundesliga matchday 5 on Saturday afternoon (19.09.15). Two late goals by Bas Dos did the damage for the Wolves. Keeper Thomas Kraft and key defender Sebastian Langkamp were forced off through injury.
Summer signing Mitchell Weiser, who could only partially train during the week after breaking a toe, passed a late fitness test and replaced Pekarik in coach Pal Dardai’s starting line-up. Vedad Ibisevic and Tolga Cigerci returned to action following long injury lay offs. Dárdai opted for a 4-4-2 system with Stocker and Haraguchi on the wings. Cigerci played alongside Skjelbred in front of the back four. Darida was up front alongside Ibisevic. After their 0-0 draw at Ingolstadt on matchday 4 Wolves coach Dieter Hecking gave the nod to former Arsenal man Bendtner ahead of Bas Dost. Marcel Schäfer took over at left back for Ricardo Rodriguez and finally Max Kruse replaced Luiz Gustavo.
Summer signing Mitchell Weiser, who could only partially train during the week after breaking a toe, passed a late fitness test and replaced Pekarik in coach Pal Dardai’s starting line-up. Vedad Ibisevic and Tolga Cigerci returned to action following long injury lay offs. Dárdai opted for a 4-4-2 system with Stocker and Haraguchi on the wings. Cigerci played alongside Skjelbred in front of the back four. Darida was up front alongside Ibisevic. After their 0-0 draw at Ingolstadt on matchday 4 Wolves coach Dieter Hecking gave the nod to former Arsenal man Bendtner ahead of Bas Dost. Marcel Schäfer took over at left back for Ricardo Rodriguez and finally Max Kruse replaced Luiz Gustavo.
The home side who beat ZSKA Moskow 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night tried to take the early initiative, but Hertha stood firm and matched them. There followed chances for both sides, the first of which came when Bendtner failed to capitalise on a mix up in Hertha’s defence (8.). Brazilian man-mountain defender Naldo then headed a cross wide of target (16.). Moments later Genki Haraguchi tested Wolves keeper Benaglio with a fierce effort (17.). The resulting corner saw Vedad Ibisevic attempt a bicycle kick only to be denied by the home keeper (18.). Things calmed down a little after that as both defences began to stabilise. The next chance was when Caligiuri fired wide of goal (29.). Ten minutes later Haraguchi’s shot at the near post was well kept out by Benaglio (39.). Bitter: Hertha’s was then forced off with a dead leg. His place in central defence went to Niklas Stark.
There was more bad news for the visitors during the break, as keeper Thomas Kraft had to be replaced following a collision with Naldo. Rune Almenning Jarstein took over between the Berlin posts. Hertha looked to be unlucky as match referee Günter Perl ruled that incidents involving Dante against Weiser (56.) and Naldo against Ibisevic (68.) inside the Wolfsburg box were within the rules. Shortly beforehand an excellent reflex save by Jarstein had denied Wolfsburg’s big money summer signing Draxler from opening the scoring (65.). The visitors then fell foul of a counter attack as Bas Dost opened the scoring (76.). Moments from the wend Wolfsburg won a penalty which was duly dispatched down the middle by Dost to make the final score 2-0 to Wolfsburg (88.).
It looked like being a draw for long periods. Had Hertha had a little more luck in those disputablöe incidents it may well have turned out that way. In the end Wolfsburg’s individual quality in the form of Dost came through for them. Hertha are in action again on Tuesday night (22.09.158.00 PM), as lowly Cologne visit the Olympüic stadium in the capital city on matchday 6.
(rd,war,mf/City-Press)
There was more bad news for the visitors during the break, as keeper Thomas Kraft had to be replaced following a collision with Naldo. Rune Almenning Jarstein took over between the Berlin posts. Hertha looked to be unlucky as match referee Günter Perl ruled that incidents involving Dante against Weiser (56.) and Naldo against Ibisevic (68.) inside the Wolfsburg box were within the rules. Shortly beforehand an excellent reflex save by Jarstein had denied Wolfsburg’s big money summer signing Draxler from opening the scoring (65.). The visitors then fell foul of a counter attack as Bas Dost opened the scoring (76.). Moments from the wend Wolfsburg won a penalty which was duly dispatched down the middle by Dost to make the final score 2-0 to Wolfsburg (88.).
It looked like being a draw for long periods. Had Hertha had a little more luck in those disputablöe incidents it may well have turned out that way. In the end Wolfsburg’s individual quality in the form of Dost came through for them. Hertha are in action again on Tuesday night (22.09.158.00 PM), as lowly Cologne visit the Olympüic stadium in the capital city on matchday 6.
(rd,war,mf/City-Press)