Hertha Berlin

Shortly before the start of the training session at Schenckendorffplatz, the boys picked up unusual equipment for the first session: A yellow pole! The players used these to stretch, to the left, to the right. After that, the squad ran some laps of the pitch at a high tempo, with the fresh breeze at the Olympiapark spurring them on. The message was clear, that despite the defeat in Dortmund they were running with the wind behind them, rather than directly into the wind. “Obviously, the result was annoying for us but we there are also some positives from the game that we can take with us – and that’s exactly what we will build on now as we prepare for Augsburg,” said Marco Richter, sketching out the direction for the next week.

Sandro Schwarz has contested a total of twelve games against FC Augsburg as a coach and a player – Frankfurt are the only team that he has also taken on this many times. But, the head coach isn’t just looking to this wealth of experience for the 13th clash; instead, the 44-year-old and his coaching team are fully focussed on the here and now. The Blue-Whites want to show determination and put in a convincing performance to pick up a crucial three points at home on Saturday (25.02.23, 15:30 CET). “We should set ourselves up for a competitive game against a well-organised and aggressive opponent. To do that, we will have to find simple solutions, play forward directly and defend aggressively ourselves,” explained Schwarz in his press conference before the game and was pleased about the support from Hertha fans. “Recently, the fans kept spurring us on sensationally. We need this atmosphere and we want to give something back to the fans for it,” underlined the head coach. herthabsc.com have summaried the key points from the head coach on…

Sandro Schwarz had put his trust in the same eleven players that had started the previous two games, however, back problems felt during the warm-up forced Márton Dárdai out at short notice. Augustín Rogel stepped in to line up alongside Filip Uremović, who was able to take up his usual position in the head coach’s 3-5-2 formation, despite not completing the full training programme this week. There was a familiar face on the visitors’ team sheet, as Arne Meier returned to the capital.

It’s never nice to be in the relegation battle, but getting an important home win still feels good. The Herthaner were able to build on a solid first-half performance against FC Augsburg, adding goals after the break to secure a crucial 2-0 victory in the fight to stay up. “The three points were important and we’re incredibly relieved. We knew that it would be a scrap, with a lot of long balls and hard-fought challenges. We were prepared for that, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. We have to keep on working hard and picking up points,” said Tolga Ciğerci. herthabsc.com gathered the thoughts from the Hertha camp after Saturday’s win.

The hard work to start the week was made somewhat more pleasant with a win behind them and the sun in the sky. Accordingly, the players started the training week on Wednesday with plenty of energy ahead of a challenging away game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen (05.03.23, 15:30 CET). Sandro Schwarz’s men are completely focussed on this task, and after two home wins in a row, want to now also pick up a result away from home. “It’s ok to be feeling good – but it is also important to then direct our focus straight back to the difficult task ahead,” said the head coach.

Hertha celebrated the home win against FC Augsburg in thick snow. It is unlikely that there will be many more games this season in similarly wintery conditions. The season is heading towards the final stretch, which means that spring is just around the corner! And it has a lot to offer. After the first international break of the year, there will be five fixtures in April. Four of them, matchdays 26 to 29 have been scheduled by the German Football League (DFL).

The team are travelling to North Rhine-Westphalia for a Bundesliga matchday for the third time already this year, and for the second time on a Sunday (05.03.23, 15:30 CET). On matchday 23, Bayer 04 Leverkusen play host to the ‘Old Lady’. It will be a difficult task against the Europa League participants, with Sandro Schwarz expecting to face “a very good team with a high tempo and a lot of quality on the pitch. Out of possession and in transition, we will have to play well. At the end of the day, it’s down to us to drag the game our way,” suggested the 44-year-old in his pre-match press conference. He was joined at the podium by Benjamin Weber, who also emphasised a focus on the here and now, also with regards to questions surrounding the squad. “Of course, we are building a picture, leading open-ended talks and pushing ahead with our planning. For us now, first thing’s first is competing successfully for the rest of the season. We still have twelve games ahead of us and total confidence in the whole squad,” underlined Hertha’s sporting director. herthabsc.com has summarised all of their comments. Schwarz and Weber spoke about…

Sandro Schwarz made a single change from the line-up from the 2-0 home win against Augsburg, with Dodi Lukébakio starting in the place of Jessic Ngankam, who dropped to the bench. The team continued in a 3-5-2 formation, with Marc Kempf starting in the back-three with Agustín Rogel and Filip Uremović despite being subbed off against FCA. Former Hertha player Robert Andrich started in midfield for the hosts.

The clash between Bayer 04 Leverkusen und Hertha BSC was unfortunately a one-sided affair overall. Hertha pulled a goal back, but at full time it was a clear 4-1 defeat. “Leverkusen were a class above in the first half, but we played into their hands. Possibly, we gave them a bit too much respect. We were always half a step too late,” said a disappointed Marc Kempf. Hertha’s number 20 didn’t complain after the game though, and looked ahead to the upcoming game against Mainz 05 (11.03.23, 15:30 CET). “As a team, we pulled ourselves together and were more solid. Now, we want to and have to call upon what we showed in the three games before this against Mainz,” concluded the defender. herthabsc.com has summarised all of the immediate reaction to the game in the Rhineland.

Having scheduled matchdays 26 until 29 last week, the German Football League (DFL) have now announced the exact timing for the fifth game in April. The Blue-Whites will take on Bayern Munich on Sunday afternoon (30.04.23, 15:30 CEST). The clash with the German record champions is obviously a particular challenge – so the support of as many Herthaners as possible in Munich will be all the more important.