Recovered too late

Hertha BSC suffered their eighth straight defeat on the road in Mainz on Bundesliga Matchday 29. One of the primary factors behind the loss was BSC's slow start, and the fact they only found any kind of rhythm in the second half.

Once again, Hertha’s players left the pitch with their eyes fixed on the ground. They had just suffered another defeat on the road, losing 1-0 in Mainz. For the eighth consecutive away game, Hertha failed to pick up any points.

Those involved acknowledged that it was a deserved defeat. They lacked the type of control over proceedings and boldness they had displayed during last weekend’s 2-0 victory against Augsburg. No one was willing to blame this defeat on the injuries of Valentin Stocker and Niklas Stark, or the absence of Vladimir Darida, who was suspended following his fifth yellow card of the season. “The fact that we played with a depleted squad is not an excuse,” emphasised Vedad Ibisevic. “We lacked aggression in the first half and allowed the opponent to push us back too far into our own half. We did not manage to get a grip on Mainz’s game,” continued the skipper.

It was still noticeable that Hertha were missing a few key players, especially after they won possession and looked for quick transitions forward. While relegation candidates Mainz gave their all and put a lot of pressure on Hertha’s goal, the visitors from Berlin were focussed on defending and were made to keep chasing the ball. “We were not able to free ourselves from their pressure. We could have scored three or four own goals, because you cannot defend if you are standing that deep,” criticised Pál Dárdai after the match.

Unfortunately, Hertha did end up conceding through an own goal in Mainz, with John Anthony Brooks holding that unfortunate honour after deflecting Danny Latza’s long range attempt beyond the reach of Rune Almenning Jarstein. The goal came “at the worst time,” according to substitute Sami Allagui – just moments before the break.

The Blue-Whites found to their game in the first half. “Usually, we need around ten to 15 minutes to found our game. This time we needed 45 minutes,” pointed out Ibisevic. Their efforts improved, but they didn’t have much to show for it. Salomon Kalou and substitute Alexander Esswein recorded chances but Mainz remained in the lead. “We had two or three attacks which looked good, but that’s not enough,” knows Dárdai. “We tried to get back into the game but couldn’t get it done,” continued Allagui. Mainz on the other hand created a number of chances at the other end, but failed to pull away.

Hertha will look to step back a bit as they assess their eighth straight away defeat. “The boys need to clear their minds, which is why they will have off during Easter,” assured Dárdai. On Tuesday they will return to prepare for their encounter with VfL Wolfsburg at home next Saturday. Hopefully, they can return to winning ways in front of their home crowd. Hertha

Hertha completely failed to get going through the first half. “Usually, we need around ten to 15 minutes to found our game. This time we needed 45 ,” pointed out Ibisevic. Their efforts improved, but they did not have much to show for it. Salomon Kalou and substitute Alexander Esswein recorded chances but Mainz remained in the lead. “We had two or three attacks which looked good, but that is not enough,” acknowledged Dárdai. “We tried to get back into the game but could not get it done,” Allagui continued. Mainz, on the other hand, created a number of chances at the other end, but failed to pull away.

Hertha will look to step back a bit as they assess their eighth straight away defeat. “The boys need to clear their minds, which is why they will have off during Easter,” assured Dárdai. On Tuesday they will return to prepare for their encounter with VfL Wolfsburg at home next Saturday. Hopefully, they can return to winning ways in front of their home crowd.