Hertha blow away Borussia Mönchengladbach in 4-1 win!
Sandro Schwarz’s side started in a 3-5-2 formation on matchday 20, with Márton Dárdai starting in the back three alongside Marc Kempf and Filip Uremović. Marvin Plattenhardt and Marco Richter played as wing-backs, with a midfield three of Tolga Ciğerci, Suat Serdar and Lucas Tousart. Florian Niederlechner and Jessic Ngankam started upfront. Ciğerci made his first start of the season having re-joined the club, while Dárdai made his first start since August. Pascal Klemens also celebrated a first, with the 17-year-old making the first team squad for the first time. Gladbach had a former Herthaner in their starting eleven in the shape of Lucas Netz, who replaced Ramy Bensebaini who missed out with illness.
Ngankam draws Hertha level
After a minutes silence for the victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, the Blue-Whites showed plenty of bite in the opening minutes. The team also moved the ball well through a congested midfield. The first shot, however, went to the visitors as Marcus Thuram headed over after a corner from the left (8’). Nico Elvedi was more accurate from the other side as he headed a Netz cross past a helpless Oliver Christensen to make it 1-0 (17’). After a cross from Plattenhardt, the ball dropped to Niederlechner, but he could only fire over the bar (25’). Hertha remained competitive and didn’t give up. A flick from Ciğerci set Richter away on the right, and he dribbled forward before crossing perfectly for Ngankam who couldn’t miss from a yard out (30’). Equaliser for Hertha, and the first goal for the academy product at the Olympiastadion!
Seven minutes later, Niederlechner narrowly missed a Plattenhardt corner, and Borussia managed to block the follow-up from Richter (37’). Schwarz’s side, who ran more kilometres in the first half, won more duels and had more shots on goal, took control of the game in this period. After a good combination with Richter, Christoph Kramer had to be alert to prevent Tousart from shooting (39’). Shortly before the end of the first half, it looked certain that Hertha would score, with Kō Itakura clearing off the line, before Jonas Omlin was called into action to save Uremović’s follow-up (44’). In first half additional time, Niederlechner was just unable to direct a diving header goalwards (45+1’).
After the change of ends it was a similar story, with Hertha playing with passion and covering every blade of grass. This hard work paid off and the team were rewarded with an absolute worldie! After the ball was laid off by Ciğerci, Dárdai hammered the ball into the top corner with it just nicking the crossbar on its way in (52’). Not only a 2-1 lead, but also a first Bundesliga goal providing the perfect present for the centre-back’s 21st birthday. On the one occasion that Daniel Farke’s men broke into the Hertha box, Christensen was in position to save from Hannes Wolf (60’). After just over an hour, Schwarz made two changes, bringing on Dodi Lukébakio and Jean-Paul Boëtius in the place of Ngankam and Serdar (64’). With Hertha still ahead statistically, leading the the shot count by 15 to 5, it was a deserved lead going into the final stages.
Scherhant guarantees Hertha’s first points of the year
Derry Scherhant came on for these final stages, replacing Niederlechner (71’), and went on to make his mark. Initially his and the team's focus was on the defence, with the whole team working hard to prevent the Foals from having any clear-cut chances. At the other end, Lukébakio shot over after a promising Hertha counter (82’). Seven minutes before the end of regular time, Dárdai had to make way due to injury and Ciğerci also had a well-earned break. Maximilian Mittelstädt and Ivan Šunjić came on to try to get the result across the line. Moments later, Christensen made a brilliant save to deny Thuram (87‘). At the beginning of six additional minutes, Scherhant turned Itakura before finding the bottom corner to score his first Bundesliga goal and put the result beyond any doubt! But that wasn’t the end, with a penalty awarded for a foul on Tousart which Lukébakio confidently converted to make it 4-1 (90+6’). What a game!
This result gave Hertha their fourth win of the season – the first coming from behind in 2022/23 and the first win this year – absolutely perfect. A big, big three points for the Blue-Whites!
Hertha BSC: Christensen – Uremović, Kempf, Dárdai (83' Mittelstädt) – Richter, Ciğerci (83' Šunjić), Tousart. Serdar (64' Boëtius), Plattenhardt (C) – Ngankam (64' Lukébakio), Niederlechner (72' Scherhant)
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Omlin – Netz (90' Herrmann), Elvedi, Itakura, Scally (90' Lainer)– Koné, Kramer (77' N´Goumou)– Wolf (66' Pléa), Stindl (C) (66' Neuhaus), Hofmann – Thuram
Goals: 0-1 Elvedi (16'), 1-1 Ngankam (30'), 2-1 Dárdai (52'), 3-1 Scherhant (90+1'), Lukébakio 4-1 (90+6')
Referee: Christian Dingert
Yellow cards: Uremović – Koné
Attendance: 40,973