Nine goals in training camp’s opening friendly

Pál Dárdai’s men beat the training camp’s local club MSV Neuruppin 9-1 on Thursday evening. 800 spectators watched as seven different Hertha players got on the score sheet, with Ondrej Duda and Maxim Pronichev bagged a brace each. A total of 22 Hertha players made an appearance while those who didn’t feature trained on the next pitch.

Hertha hit the ground running in Neuruppin, with Köpke heading in his first goal for the club after eight minutes, before Arne Maier doubled the team’s lead two minutes later. The visitors from Berlin continued to dominate, but it took them until the 33rd minute to add a goal. Duda’s fantastic solo effort made it 3-0 which saw the floodgates open somewhat before half time: Niklas Stark and Dárdai added a goal each to make the half-time score 5-0.

The goal hunt continued in the second half: Duda added his second with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box to make it 6-0. Then it was time for change; Pál Dárdai brought on eleven new players, who went on to score another three in the remaining half hour, but not before the hosts found the net themselves in the 70th minute.

No rest for the wicked: Hertha’s next friendly will be tomorrow, same place, but one hour earlier (17:30 CEST). This time we face Czech first division side Dukla Prag.