A change in atmosphere

Berlin – As the team unrolled a banner thanking the Hertha fans for their support on Saturday night (21.12.19), they were serenaded by applause from the stands. It was a complete turnaround from how the fans reacted three weeks earlier, after a 2-1 loss at home to Borussia Dortmund. Head coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s side has been able to improve week by week, as the former World and European Champion has been able to bring a feeling of positivity back to the Olympiastadion. After a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt and two wins against teams from the top half of the table in Freiburg and Leverkusen, the Blue-Whites ended the Hinrunde with a draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. “The team are on the right path, but are well aware that they still have a lot of work to do,” Klinsmann said after his side extended their unbeaten run to four games. “The players are gaining more and more self-confidence and you can see that we’re growing as a team.”

“We accepted the challenge”

The moments following the draw against Gladbach were representative of the 92 minutes that came before the final whistle, during which the feeling of optimism could clearly be felt in the Olympiastadion. The 50,208 fans in attendance continuously pushed on the Old Lady and celebrated every tackle with applause. The Herthaner kept pace with the guests for much of the first half and had several chances to score as a result. “We accepted the challenge, performed well and were strong in defence. It was a tough fight, but we were able to make the best of it,” said Eduard Löwen. “I think it’s great when a team sticks together and plays the way we did. It shows just how close the team are.” Löwen had a chance to score the opener mid-way through the first half, but his free-kick from 20 metres out hit the crossbar. “Unfortunately, my free-kick missed by just inches, otherwise it would have been in,” Löwen said. Shortly before halftime, Dodi Lukébakio made a nice solo run and just missed the net (39’). After the break, it was the guests who had the stronger start to the half, but were unable to break through the solid defensive work being shown by the Herthaner. Goalkeeper Rune Jarstein delivered a strong performance, saving shots from Zakaria (57’), Plea (59’) and Embolo (63’). “Rune received a lot of praise from us after that!” said Klinsmann.

The team’s strong defensive showing was the reason they were able to take home a point for the fourth match in a row, according to defender Karim Rekik. He added, “We did well to keep them from scoring. We’re starting to work together even better on defence, and everyone knows exactly what he needs to do. Our backline and our defensive midfielders communicate well with one another.” A good example of the strength of the Hertha backline came in the 23rd minute, as Lukas Klünter won the ball on the touchline, played it past two defenders and made his way into the opposition half after a quick one-two pass. The right-back’s willingness to fight for the ball was met with applause from the stands.

Feeling good ahead of the winter break

Marvin Plattenhardt, who led the team onto the pitch as captain for the second match in a row, had this to say about the team’s development: “As a team, we’ve gone back to some of the basics and haven’t conceded the kind of goals that had cost us several games already this season. It feels good to see the way in which we push each other and that everyone wants to put our game plan into action on the pitch.” Plattenhardt and his fellow defenders were able to impress against one of the strongest attacks in the league on Saturday. They worked together to keep the fourth-best attacking trio of Marcus Thuram, Alassane Plea and Breel Embolo at bay and were able to help keep the good feeling going at the Olympiastadion.

The draw against the second placed team in the league wasn’t just a strong ending to a turbulent Hinrunde, but also saw the Herthaner equal a club record. The last time Hertha BSC went three games in a row without conceding a goal was in 2015/16. Now, the club will be looking to take this momentum into the New Year. Head coach Jürgen Klinsmann is already looking forward to kicking off the second half of the season against Bayern München (19.01.20, 15:30 CET). “We’re looking forward to the second half of the season, which will get underway with a real cracker of a match,” Klinsmann said. “We want to continue picking up points.” But, for now, the head coach will return to California over the holidays with a good feeling in hand due to the team’s recent success.