“Derby matches have a special charm”

At Wednesday's press conference (02/12/20), Bruno Labbadia and Michael Preetz discussed the state of the squad and the upcoming battle with 1. FC Union.

A derby is always a highlight, even for the most experienced players in the Bundesliga. Bruno Labbadia, who led Hertha to a resounding 4-0 victory in his only Berlin derby during his time in charge, is no exception. “I look forward to every game in the Bundesliga, but a derby obviously has a special charm to it. A victory is always that little bit better in a derby. We will make sure that the team is fully aware of that,” emphasised the Hertha coach at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference on Wednesday. Labbadia had good news in terms of the squad members available for the Berlin clash. "Lucas Tousart is feeling good and is pain-free after his injury, so nothing is standing in his way in terms of playing on Friday. We also have high hopes that Omar Alderete will be able to feature," reported Labbadia. Labbadia and his team are hoping to improve upon the strong start that Hertha made in Leverkusen in the last game. “We’re noticing that things are clicking more every day and we’re making progress together as a team. We want to keep that going in the derby on Friday!”

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Hertha will once again have to do without the support of a home crowd for this match. “It’s obviously a shame that we haven’t been able to have a packed-out home match against Union yet, like this fixture normally would be,” said Michael Preetz. “We are still looking forward to the game, though, and our desire to win obviously goes without question!”