Teams | October 28, 2017 at 09:14 PM
Headers give Hertha home win over Hamburg
Headers give Hertha home win over Hamburg
Goals from Niklas Stark and Karim Rekik gave Hertha their first win in over a month on Saturday afternoon against Hamburg.
Berlin- Two corners. Two headers. Two goals and three points. The relief in the Olympiastadion at full time was clear for all to see´. This was a first win for Pal Dardai’s boys since the victory over Leverkusen in early September. Niklas Stark’s first half header was added to in the same manner by Karim Rekik in the second half, before Jann-Fiete Arp pulled one back for the visitors as Hertha were forced to hold on in a nervy final few minutes.
Berlin- Two corners. Two headers. Two goals and three points. The relief in the Olympiastadion at full time was clear for all to see´. This was a first win for Pal Dardai’s boys since the victory over Leverkusen in early September. Niklas Stark’s first half header was added to in the same manner by Karim Rekik in the second half, before Jann-Fiete Arp pulled one back for the visitors as Hertha were forced to hold on in a nervy final few minutes. Pal Dardai made three changes from the side who lost to Köln in the DFB Pokal in the week. Sebastian Langkamp returned from injury to make his 100th appearance for Hertha in the Bundesliga, as Niklas Stark also came back into the side with captain Vedad Ibisevic. Fabian Lustenberger and Davie Selke were the men to make way.
Pal Dardai made three changes from the side who lost to Köln in the DFB Pokal in the week. Sebastian Langkamp returned from injury to make his 100th appearance for Hertha in the Bundesliga, as Niklas Stark also came back into the side with captain Vedad Ibisevic. Fabian Lustenberger and Davie Selke were the men to make way. 
It was a cagey opening in a blowy and blustery Berlin, and the only moment of note in the opening exchanges was Karim Rekik’s wild effort after a good run from Vedad Ibisevic. The game came to life after Niklas Stark headed home his second goal in four days after he leapt brilliantly to divert Marvin Plattenhardt’s delivery into the far corner. The conditions made fluent passages of football hard to come by, though Rune Jarstein and Plattenhardt had to be alert to clear away the danger before the break.
It took Hertha a matter of minutes to double their lead, and it came through the same play as the first, with Karim Rekik this time getting on the end of a Mitchell Weiser corner to put the ball in the back of his net using his head. It was his first Hertha goal since joining in the summer. Hamburg made the last fifteen minutes a nervous time by pulling one back through 17-year-old Jan-Fiete Arp. Mitchell Weiser then played in Davie Selke in the final moments, but the new man was unable to beat Christian Mathenia from close range.
It took Hertha a matter of minutes to double their lead, and it came through the same play as the first, with Karim Rekik this time getting on the end of a Mitchell Weiser corner to put the ball in the back of his net using his head. It was his first Hertha goal since joining in the summer. Hamburg made the last fifteen minutes a nervous time by pulling one back through 17-year-old Jan-Fiete Arp. Mitchell Weiser then played in Davie Selke in the final moments, but the new man was unable to beat Christian Mathenia from close range.
It took Hertha a matter of minutes to double their lead, and it came through the same play as the first, with Karim Rekik this time getting on the end of a Mitchell Weiser corner to put the ball in the back of his net using his head. It was his first Hertha goal since joining in the summer. Hamburg made the last fifteen minutes a nervous time by pulling one back through 17-year-old Jan-Fiete Arp. Mitchell Weiser then played in Davie Selke in the final moments, but the new man was unable to beat Christian Mathenia from close range.
A timely three points means Hertha move into tenth place in the Bundesliga and build a gap of six points to HSV in 16th. Another busy week now follows for Hertha, who welcome Zorya Luhansk to the Olympiastadion on Thursday at 21:05 CET before a trip to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga follows next Sunday at 18:00 CET.
A timely three points means Hertha move into tenth place in the Bundesliga and build a gap of six points to HSV in 16th. Another busy week now follows for Hertha, who welcome Zorya Luhansk to the Olympiastadion on Thursday at 21:05 CET before a trip to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga follows next Sunday at 18:00 CET.