Hertha leave Hamburg victorious

Resurgent second half performance sees Hertha come from behind to talk all three points against Hamburg.

Berlin- Goals. London buses. We all know how that idiom ends. Hertha got their four-and-a-half game long goal drought monkey off their back with a stirring second half performance to overcome Hamburger SV in their own back yard.

Douglas Santos gave the inspired hosts a first half lead, but Hertha bounced back after the break with two goals in seven minutes. Valentino Lazaro turned home Marvin Plattenhardt’s super delivery from deep before Arne Maier set up Salomon Kalou for the winner.

Berlin- Goals. London buses. We all know how that idiom ends. Hertha got their four-and-a-half game long goal drought monkey off their back with a stirring second half performance to overcome Hamburger SV in their own back yard.

Douglas Santos gave the inspired hosts a first half lead, but Hertha bounced back after the break with two goals in seven minutes. Valentino Lazaro turned home Marvin Plattenhardt’s super delivery from deep before Arne Maier set up Salomon Kalou for the winner.

There were two changes from the side that drew with Freiburg a week ago, as Maxi Mittelstädt replaced Salomon Kalou and Vladimir Darida came in for Peter Pekarik.

An electric atmosphere greeted Hertha at kick off, as their opponents – with new manager Christian Titz at the helm for the first time – prepared to throw everything at Pal Dardai and his side to begin their final push towards Bundesliga safety.

A young team, roared on by a packed Volksparkstadion, posed Hertha a lot of problems in the opening exchanges, and the visitors initially struggled to assert themselves.

They quickly settled, and Vedad Ibisevic’s role as captain to hold the ball up going forward started to bear fruit as the half went on, and after a lovely combination of passes Vladimir Darida saw his shot on the turn saves by Julian Pollersbeck.

Dardai’s men were punished on the break though shortly after, with Douglas Santos shooting low through the legs of Jarstein to put Hertha behind.

Ibisevic then found Pollersbeck in top form again on the stroke of half time, as Hertha’s run without a goal stretched to nearly five full games as the sides went in for the mid-match team talk.

It was a different Hertha after the restart. Poised, composed and assertive, reacting to Dardai’s challenge to go and make Hamburg feel the fear.

A scarily good cross from Marvin Plattenhardt was turned in by Lazaro from six yards out and from there Hertha never looked back.

Moments later, a surging run from Arne Maier left spaces in the home side’s back line and Salomon Kalou gratefully accepted the opportunity to power home from eight yards out. His tenth strike of the season.

Ibisevic could have made it three, but he would lose his personal duel with Pollersbeck before being brought off for Davie Selke in the closing stages.

One final push from the Bundesliga strugglers wasn’t enough and Hertha held out for their second win of 2018 and fourth on the road of the season.

An electric atmosphere greeted Hertha at kick off, as their opponents – with new manager Christian Titz at the helm for the first time – prepared to throw everything at Pal Dardai and his side to begin their final push towards Bundesliga safety.

A young team, roared on by a packed Volksparkstadion, posed Hertha a lot of problems in the opening exchanges, and the visitors initially struggled to assert themselves.

They quickly settled, and Vedad Ibisevic’s role as captain to hold the ball up going forward started to bear fruit as the half went on, and after a lovely combination of passes Vladimir Darida saw his shot on the turn saves by Julian Pollersbeck.

Dardai’s men were punished on the break though shortly after, with Douglas Santos shooting low through the legs of Jarstein to put Hertha behind.

Ibisevic then found Pollersbeck in top form again on the stroke of half time, as Hertha’s run without a goal stretched to nearly five full games as the sides went in for the mid-match team talk.

It was a different Hertha after the restart. Poised, composed and assertive, reacting to Dardai’s challenge to go and make Hamburg feel the fear. A scarily good cross from Marvin Plattenhardt was turned in by Lazaro from six yards out and from there Hertha never looked back.

Moments later, a surging run from Arne Maier left spaces in the home side’s back line and Salomon Kalou gratefully accepted the opportunity to power home from eight yards out. His tenth strike of the season.

Ibisevic could have made it three, but he would lose his personal duel with Pollersbeck before being brought off for Davie Selke in the closing stages.

One final push from the Bundesliga strugglers wasn’t enough and Hertha held out for their second win of 2018 and fourth on the road of the season.

The win moves Hertha to 35 points in the Bundesliga, enough to see them stay 11th going into the two week international break.

Dardai and the boye will be back in the Olympiastadion in two weeks time when they host Wolfsburg for the Bundesliga’s first ever 20:30 kick off on a Saturday evening.

The win moves Hertha to 35 points in the Bundesliga, enough to see them stay 11th going into the two week international break.

Dardai and the boys will be back in the Olympiastadion in two weeks time when they host Wolfsburg for the Bundesliga’s first ever 20:30 kick off on a Saturday evening.