Home defeat against Werder Bremen

Pál Dárdai set the team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for his first game back on the sideline, making three changes to the side from last week. Peter Pekarík started in defence for the first time since the first game of the second half of the season. Derry Scherhant took up a position on the left-wing, making just his second Bundesliga start, while Jessic Ngankam came in upfront. After a long injury lay-off, Chidera Ejuke was finally in the squad again, with Filip Uremović suspended.

Early shock – Ducksch scores a brace

A sold-out Olympiastadion didn’t have to wait too long for the first chance from a Hertha perspective. Marco Richter, who was playing as a ten, played the ball through to Dodi Lukébakio, but his shot was straight at Jiří Pavlenka (3’). At the other end, Marvin Ducksch was played through in the penalty area after the ball was given away in midfield and he finished precisely past Oliver Christensen to give Werder an early lead (6’). From then on, both teams found it hard to generate shots, with the game shaped by a series of mistakes and fouls.

The host then extended their lead all of a sudden. After 27 minutes, Ducksch scored again, this time heading a Christian Groß cross into the far corner. Shortly after, Philipp ran through on goal following a long ball over the top, but his shot went narrowly wide (29‘). Christensen made a save to keep the score at 2-0 from the resulting corner. Hertha struggled to create anything in attack. A shot from Tolga Ciğerci, who was playing in his 50th Bundesliga game, sailed over the bar (33’). Bremen posed much more of a threat, with Ducksch missing a chance to add to his tally four minutes before half time, as did Stage moments later. Hertha went into the break trailing 2-0.

Werder attacker scores a hat-trick – comeback comes too late

Dárdai reacted at half time by making a triple change, bringing on Suat Serdar, Prince Boateng and Agustín Rogel for Márton Dárdai, Ciğerci and Scherhant. Once again, it was Werder who made the better start though, and they scored another early goal. Ducksch scored again, this time chesting the ball down and scoring on the half volley (51’). But that wasn’t the end of the scoring, with a miscommunication between Christensen and Rogel giving Weiser an empty net to aim at, which he did to give Werder a 4-0 lead.

The ‘Old Lady’ didn’t give up after this and five minutes later Ngankam received a pass from Serdar and finished into the far corner to make it 4-1 (68’). Dárdai then brought striker Niederlechner on for Richter. This attacking change paid off, with Ngankam going down under the challenge of Miloš Veljković to give Hertha a penalty. Lukébakio converted it confidently into the bottom left-hand corner (79’). Ejuke then made his comeback and fired over shortly before full time in Hertha’s last chance of the game.

Hertha BSC: Christensen – Pekarík, Kempf, Dárdai (46' Rogel), Plattenhardt (C) –  Tousart, Ciğerci (46' Prince) – Lukébakio, Richter (72' Niederlechner), Scherhant (46' Serdar) – Ngankam (80' Ejuke)

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka – Weiser, Veljković (80' Pieper), Stark, Friedl (C), Jung (80' Buchanan)  – Bittencourt (66' Schmid), Groß (90' Gruev), Stage  – Philipp (66' Dinkci), Ducksch

Goals: 0-1 Ducksch (6'), 0-2 Ducksch (27'), 0-3 Ducksch (51'), 0-4 Weiser (63'), 1-4 Ngankam (68'), 2-4 Lukébakio (79')

Referee: Robert Schröder

Yellow cards: Kempf, Serdar – Stage, Schmid

Attendance: 74,667 (sell-out)