0-2: No joy in Stuttgart

Stuttgart - Hertha deservedly lost 0-2 against VfB Stuttgart, in front of 45,465 inside the freezing cold Mercedes-Benz-Arena on Saturday afternoon. The men on target for the home side were Dié and Kostic. Hertha are now 4th in the Bundesliga table.  

Hertha coach Pál Dárdai made changes in three positions to the side which beat Heidenheim in the quarter finals of the DFB Cup on Wednesday night. Captain Fabian Lustenberger returned to the team at the expense of Jens Hegeler who reverted to the bench. Julian Schieber was also on the bench following his spell on the sidelines through injury. Peter Pekarik and Tolga Cigerci replaced injured front men Mitchell Weiser and Salomon Kalou. Stuttgart lost 1-3 to Dortmund in the DFB Cup earlier in the week and their boss Jürgen Kramny rang the changes – four of them in fact. Tyton returned between the VfB posts while Langerak reverted to the bench. Schwaab, Maxim and Werner got the nod over Sunjic, Didavi (suspended) and Kravets.

The visitors were put under early pressure which resulted in Stuttgart skipper Gentner squandering a good chance after only two minutes. Stuttgart took the game to Hertha who had their work cut out keeping them away from their goal, while waiting for the chance to hit VfB on the break. Hertha struggled to get out of their own half as the Schwabian hosts maintained pressure on the capital city side. On 35 minutes Hertha won a promising free kick after Vladimir Darida was fouled after being played in by Vedad Ibisevic. The free kick was however blazed over the bar by Plattenhardt. Hertha had their biggest chance moments later as a superb through ball from Tolga Cigerci found Ibisevic. Home keeper Tyton however was up to the challenge and thwarted the danger. The game then ebbed and flowed with neither side managing to create clear-cut scoring chances. The game was goalless at halftime.

Both sides made a determined start to the second half and the visitors created the opening chance. Darida crossed from the right and Cigerci headed the ball over the bar (48.). The following goal kick by Tyton only found Hertha’s Ibisivic, but the Stuttgart keeper was on his guard to keep the score at 0-0. The home side then took the lead on 51 minutes. Hertha keeper Jarstein parried an effort by Maxim but only into the path of Serey Dié who easily opened the scoring. Five minutes later Hertha’s Berlin-born USA defender John Anthony Brooks struck the outside of a post (56.)! The huge contingent of travelling Hertha faithful were delighted as long term injured Julian Schieber came on for his first appearance in almost a year. The visitors fought hard to level things but were caught cold as Kostic put the game beyond them by scoring Stuttgart’s second goal (84.).