Strong start in vain as Frankfurt beat Hertha in Berlin

Despite Davie Selke's sixth goal in eleven games, Hertha left home empty hand on Sunday night thanks to a late strike from former player Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Berlin- It could have been three nil after fifteen minutes. It finished 1-2 after 90. Hertha left the Olympiastadion on Sunday wondering how they had come away with another home defeat after throwing away a one-goal lead against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Davie Selke’s early goal was just rewards for Pal Dardai’s side's early dominance, but goals from Marius Wolf and former Berliner Kevin-Prince Boateng either side of the break turned the tide for last year’s DFB-Pokal finalists.

Pal Dardai named an unchanged side against Frankfurt, choosing to start the same eleven players who had won all three points in Cologne last Sunday, meaninf Davie Selke and Vedad Ibisevic again started as a front two.

In comparison to the last home game with Gladbach this was a completely different twenty minutes, as Hertha dominated, and could easily have been out of sight before Frankfurt had even had a kick.

Vedad Ibisevic saw his early one-on-one effort turned round the post by Hradecky, before Davie Selke also saw his shot saved early on.

All the action was at the home end, but it took until the quarter hour mark for Hertha to get their reward, as Selke was on hand to finish off Mathew Leckie’s wonderfully chipped through ball to give the hosts the lead.

From there though the game changed, and while Frankfurt still did not offer up much going forward, Hertha’s tempo and rhythm changed. It would be their downfall. Hertha has started hot, but quickly went as cold as the snowy temperatures in the capital.

Marius Wolf was left unmarked to smash home the leveller from a corner and while that should have been the wake-up call they needed, Hertha once again struggled to impose themselves as they had done in the opening stages.

A much quieter second period saw Hertha see more of their oppnent’s half, though Mitchell Weiser’s quick feet and mazy run was all in vain when Ibisevic and Selke got in each other’s way on the edge of the box.

The introduction of Valentino Lazaro saw more pace injected down the wing, and the home fans were left fuming when the dazzling Austrian was fouled on the edge of the box without the awarding of a penalty.

They were even angrier moments later, when former Hertha player and Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng curled home the winner ten minutes from time.

Hertha so nearly claimed the point they would have on balanced deserved when Fabian Lustenberger rifled a shot from range against the bar with Hradecky beaten.

In comparison to the last home game with Gladbach this was a completely different twenty minutes, as Hertha dominated, and could easily have been out of sight before Frankfurt had even had a kick.

Vedad Ibisevic saw his early one-on-one effort turned round the post by Hradecky, before Davie Selke also saw his shot saved early on.

All the action was at the home end, but it took until the quarter hour mark for Hertha to get their reward, as Selke was on hand to finish off Mathew Leckie’s wonderfully chipped through ball to give the hosts the lead.

From there though the game changed, and while Frankfurt still did not offer up much going forward, Hertha’s tempo and rhythm changed. It would be their downfall.

Hertha has started hot, but quickly went as cold as the snowy temperatures in the capital. Marius Wolf was left unmarked to smash home the leveller from a corner and while that should have been the wake-up call they needed, the boys once again struggled to impose themselves as they had done in the opening stages.

A much quieter second period saw Hertha see more of their oppnent’s half, though Mitchell Weiser’s quick feet and mazy run was all in vain when Ibisevic and Selke got in each other’s way on the edge of the box.

The introduction of Valentino Lazaro saw more pace injected down the wing, and the home fans were left fuming when the dazzling Austrian was fouled on the edge of the box without the awarding of a penalty.

They were even angrier moments later, when former Hertha player and Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng curled home the winner ten minutes from time.

Hertha so nearly claimed the point they would have on balanced deserved when Fabian Lustenberger rifled a shot from range against the bar with Hradecky beaten.

A third home defeat of the season leaves Hertha 11th in table, with 17 points from 14 games. The final Europa League group Matchday against Östersunds on Thursday in the Olympiastadion, before Dardai takes his men to Augsburg next Sunday for a 18:30 kick off.