Promotion-hopefuls Hertha were left with egg on their faces on Saturday afternoon. Markus Babbel's side lost the Berlin derby 1-2, in front of a sell out crowd of 74,244 at the Olympic stadium. Hertha's lead at the top of division has now been cut to just two points, after what was their first defeat since the winter break.
Hertha boss Markus Babbel recalled defender Peter Niemeyer after suspension, meaning that fan favourite Swiss midfielder Fabian Lustenberger reverted to the bench. That was the only change to the side which wiped the floor away to Bielefeld last time out, winning 3-1. After losing 0-2 at home to Paderborn, Union coach Uwe Neuhaus rang the changes, Younga-Mouhani, Thomik and Savran made way for Kohlmann, Peitz and Kolk. His side had only won once away from home this season before kick off, so the huge contingent of Union fans (over 15,000) who made the short trip across the capital city had their fingers crossed for a change in fortunes.
The huge crowd inside the glorious Olypiastadion was the perfect backdrop for the second-ever meeting between the two sides. The first meeting earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 draw. The game was over for Union's Parensen after only four minutes. He came off worse after a clash of heads with Niemeyer. Thomik replaced the dazed defender. An early sign that this would be a hard fought close encounter, with much pride at stake.
Hertha looked the more organised side at first, despite the strong winds blowing through the stadium. The division two leaders combined nicely, keeping the ball on the deck, with short precise passes, in contrast to the ugly football deployed by the visitors, who tried their luck with long hopeful balls to their front line. Hertha's Brazilian midfielder Ronny looked dangerous at set pieces and one of those set pieces led to the opening goal. Ronny crossed the ball deep into the Union area. Peitz failed to clear his lines and the ball fell to Mijatovic. The Hertha skipper crossed the deflected ball to the far post, where Hubnik opened his Hertha scoring account with a close range header.
That goal seemed to panic the visitors and Hertha kept up the pressure, pressing for a second goal. Höttecke produced a stunning save to deny Ramos on 18 minutes. Then Hubnik missed a back heel pass by Ramos only a couple of metres out from goal, and a gilt-edged opportunity went begging. To rub salt into the wounds, the Union keeper also parried a Ramos effort within the same minute (19). Had Ramos put the ball into the back of the onion net, this would be a far more pleasing match report and weekend!
Union survived that period of Hertha domination and began to look more comfortable on the ball, especially after the home side seemed content to sit back and wait to counter attack the visitors - a ploy which rarely works yet regularly used. Union players and fans cried "penalty!" close to the half hour mark, as the former Hertha player Ede let fly with a shot which hit Mijatovic on the hand. The referee was right not to award the Köpenik outfit a spot kick on 29 minutes, with such cries for a penalty both desperate and laughable.
Hertha then went through a period of doing almost nothing, apart from a wayward effort by Ramos, and were punished for their apathy on 37 minutes. Stuff pumped a long ball forward where it was met by the chest (and what looked like the upper arm) of Mosquera, who turned his body around defender Hubnik, before stunning the majority of the massive crowd by superbly blasting the ball home with Hertha keeper Aerts helpless. The game was nicely poised at 1-1 as Dr. Drees blew time on the opening half. A contentious goal to get Union back into the game.
Both teams came out for the second half unchanged, and the torrential rain which came seemed to suit the visitors more than it did the home side. The opening half chance of the new half was missed by Peitz on 48 minutes. At the other end, on 59 minutes, Ramos put all of his body into an effort, but to no avail. Hertha were the more classy side, but Union compensated that deficit by grimly battling for every blade of grass. Raffael went on one of his superb trademark runs, setting up Ramos at the end of it. The Columbian striker however missed a good chance from only a few metres out while unmarked.
Often in football, if you don't make your chances count, you will end up paying the price. That was indeed the case for Hertha: Mattuschka curled a free kick through the Hertha wall, past Aerts (who got fingers on the ball) and into the left hand side of goal. A goal against the run of play and a real hammer blow on 71 minutes. Obviously, Hertha threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but Friend could only nod the ball into the grateful arms of Höttecke.. At the other end Peitz almost put the game beyond Hertha, but somehow nodded over from five metres out. Four minutes from time Ramos was cursing his luck again as Stuff unwittingly deflected his shot away from the danger zone. Not long after that, the ref blew time on what was a somewhat fortunate Union victory to say the least.
So bragging rights go to Union fans, however, it must be said that surely....SURELY Hertha will have the last laugh come May whilst celebrating promotion as Champions.
@ChrisKemp89
@HerthaBerlinUK
Match details:
Hertha BSC: Aerts – Lell, Hubnik, Mijatovic, Kobiashili – Niemeyer (86. Lustenberger) – Rukavytsya, Raffael, Ronny (80. Domovchiyski)– Friend, Ramos
1. FC Union Berlin: Höttecke – Parensen (4. Thomik), Stuff, Göhlert, Kohlmann – Peitz – Menz, Mattuschka, Ede (57. Benyamina) – Kolk (86. Brunnemann), Mosquera
Goals: 1:0 Hubnik (13.) 1-1 Mosquera (37.) 1-2 Mattuschka (71.)
Booked: Lell, Raffael / Peitz, Benyamina, Kohlmann
Referee: Dr. Jochen Drees
Att: 74,244 (sold out)
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