Hertha BSC became the last team to progress to the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Monday night. This season’s Europa League participants beat third-tier Hansa Rostock 2-0 in a tough encounter. U21 Euros champion Mitchell Weiser (86’) gave the Berlin club the lead in the closing stages and Vedad Ibisevic (90+2’) then made sure of the victory.
Referee Robert Hartmann had to pause the game in the 76th minute for a quarter of an hour after crowd disturbances, but luckily the game then went on without any further interruptions.
Approximately 22,400 fans watched the somewhat uninspiring match, without many highlights from either side, which comes five days before Hertha’s first Bundesliga game of the season against newly-promoted VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. After the interruption, the game lacked tempo until Weiser hit the back of the net with a powerful shot.
Rostock dominated the beginning
Hertha head coach Pál Dárdai called on the rapid Alexander Esswein, who replaced injured U21 Euros champion Davie Selke, to play alongside captain Ibisevic. Karim Rekik made his competitive debut as centre back as well as Mathew Leckie on the right wing.
Hertha started the game in an attacking formation, with wingbacks Marvin Plattenhardt and Weiser coming forward in possession and the defensive midfielders falling back. Nevertheless, the beginning of the game belonged to Rostock, who disrupted the Europa League team’s rhythm and forced passing errors in the early stages.
Only one chance in the first half
Hertha continued to struggle with their build-up play for the rest of the first half; they suffered from a lack of accuracy in their passes as well as their pace in attack. Esswein fired wide in the only chance worth mentioning from the first half. Hansa stayed well organized during the tough encounter but their few chances didn’t inflict any real damage on the Berlin club.
Hertha came out of the dressing room as an improved side but Kalou managed to miss from around twelve yards out when he was unmarked (54’) then Darida hit the post. Hansa goalkeeper Janis Blaswich parried Kalou’s subsequent scissor kick brilliantly (63’). After Weiser’s opening goal, Ibisevic smoothly slotted in a second.