Hertha earn vital first Europa League win

Brace from Davie Selke sees off Luhansk in Berlin, as Hertha throw Group J wide open with two matchdays left.

Berlin- It was a win they needed, and it was a win they got. A sentimental few days in Berlin which saw Pal Dardai celebrate 1000 days in charge of Hertha ended in the perfect manner on Thursday night, as Davie Selke’s double helped the club from the capital beat Zorya Luhansk 2-0 in the Europa League to keep their qualification hopes for the knockout stages alive in Group J.

Dardai rounded off the evening by bringing on 16-year-old son Palko for the final ten minutes, as the Hertha head coach handed his offspring a first ever appearance.

Dardai made eight changes from the side which beat Hamburger 2-1 on Saturday, starting at the back as Thomas Kraft came in for Rune Jarstein between the sticks. Niklas Stark dropped back into the back four for Sebastian Langkamp as Jordan Torunarigha made it a new centre back pairing in place of Karim Rekik.

Maxi Mittelstädt made his first start of the season for Marvin Plattenhardt. Valentin Stocker and Arne Maier came into midfield for Stark and Per Skjelbred and Ondrej Duda started ahead of Valentino Lazaro. Alex Esswein came in for Mitchell Weiser out wide and Davie Selke was selected up front with Vedad Ibisevic suspended.

Keen to make up for the agonising defeat against the same opponents two weeks ago, Hertha started confidently, adament they would not let the same fate that had befell them in Ukraine happen again. Salomon Kalou twisted and turned his way round three Zorya defenders early on, but saw his low drive turned away by the goalkeeper’s feet. Selke then muscled his way through the back line before setting Alex Esswein, but the winger also his effort held.

The opener came after a quarter of an hour and was very much made in Berlin. Torunarigha’s deft flick back was swung into the box by Mittelstädt and then powered home via the head of Selke, who grabbed his second goal in a many Europa League starts. Hertha were active and positive in their pursuit of the second, but despite a good chance for Maier late in the half, the lead was just one when the whistle blew for half time.

The second half mirrored the first, as Hertha started positively, not content on sitting on their lead. Selke’s shot after a some lovely link-up play was however not quite strong enough to beat the Zorya stopper. There was a nervy moment when Kraft was left exposed following a set piece but Hertha put the game beyond doubt with fifteen minutes left on the clock.

Esswein picked up a loose cross-field ball and calmly fed Selke, who rounded the onrushing ‘keeper and slotted home. 20,358 then saw a proud moment for the family of the man in charge, as Pal brought on Palko for the final ten minutes, as Hertha saw out the game to record their first win of the group and their first in the Europa League since December 2009.

Keen to make up for the agonising defeat against the same opponents two weeks ago, Hertha started confidently, adament they would not let the same fate that had befell them in Ukraine happen again. Salomon Kalou twisted and turned his way round three Zorya defenders early on, but saw his low drive turned away by the goalkeeper’s feet. Selke then muscled his way through the back line before setting Alex Esswein, but the winger also his effort held.

The opener came after a quarter of an hour and was very much made in Berlin. Torunarigha’s deft flick back was swung into the box by Mittelstädt and then powered home via the head of Selke, who grabbed his second goal in a many Europa League starts. Hertha were active and positive in their pursuit of the second, but despite a good chance for Maier late in the half, the lead was just one when the whistle blew for half time.

The second half mirrored the first, as Hertha started positively, not content on sitting on their lead. Selke’s shot after a some lovely link-up play was however not quite strong enough to beat the Zorya stopper. There was a nervy moment when Kraft was left exposed following a set piece but Hertha put the game beyond doubt with fifteen minutes left on the clock.

Esswein picked up a loose cross-field ball and calmly fed Selke, who rounded the onrushing ‘keeper and slotted home. 20,358 then saw a proud moment for the family of the man in charge, as Pal brought on Palko for the final ten minutes, as Hertha saw out the game to record their first win of the group and their first in the Europa League since December 2009.

The two-nil win coupled with a Bilbao victory means Hertha remain bottom of Group J, but just three points off first-placed Östersunds FK. Hertha travel to Bilbao for Matchday 5 in another must win clash before Östersunds visit the Olympiastadion in December. The next task for the boys in the Bundesliga will come away in Wolfsburg on Sunday evening, before a two week international break.