In last night’s ‘fight for third place’, Vedad Ibisevic and former Germany youth player Niklas Stark scored to widen the gap between Hertha BSC and their bogey side FC Schalke 04. After the 2-0 win in the Olympiastadion, Pal Dardai’s side went four points clear of their competition from Gelsenkirchen in the spot for automatic Champions League qualification.
Ibisevic out of nowhere
It was no spectacle for the 51,424 fans inside the ground to begin with - both sides passed the ball cautiously across their respective back lines and created little going forward. Then out of nowhere, Ibisevic sets the game alight in true centre-forward fashion - burying the very first real goal opportunity and putting his team ahead with three minutes of the half left to play.
Hertha's hard work pays off
The importance of this game was visible through both teams’ approach - the players went to great lengths to avoid making that fatal mistake, taking no risks whatsoever. The hosts were clearly more focused on keeping possession, while Schalke sat back and waited for the opportunity to counter. It was Hertha who eventually rewarded themselves for their positivity and effort as they took the lead before the break. In the second half, when the visitors began to press for an equaliser, Hertha delivered the killer blow from a corner - Niklas Stark lost his man in the area and headed home for his first ever Bundesliga goal.
In last night’s ‘fight for third place’, Vedad Ibisevic and former Germany youth player Niklas Stark scored to widen the gap between Hertha BSC and their bogey side FC Schalke 04. After the 2-0 win in the Olympiastadion, Pal Dardai’s side went four points clear of their competition from Gelsenkirchen in the spot for automatic Champions League qualification.
Ibisevic out of nowhere
It was no spectacle for the 51,424 fans inside the ground to begin with - both sides passed the ball cautiously across their respective back lines and created little going forward. Then out of nowhere, Ibisevic sets the game alight in true centre-forward fashion - burying the very first real goal opportunity and putting his team ahead with three minutes of the half left to play.
Hertha's hard work pays off
The importance of this game was visible through both teams’ approach - the players went to great lengths to avoid making that fatal mistake, taking no risks whatsoever. The hosts were clearly more focused on keeping possession, while Schalke sat back and waited for the opportunity to counter. It was Hertha who eventually rewarded themselves for their positivity and effort as they took the lead before the break. In the second half, when the visitors began to press for an equaliser, Hertha delivered the killer blow from a corner - Niklas Stark lost his man in the area and headed home for his first ever Bundesliga goal.
