Three goals give Hertha first win in 2023

The first friendly at the Florida training camp saw head coach Sandro Schwarz use a 4-3-3 formation against Club de Lyon FC. Oliver Christensen started in goal, with Jonjoe Kenny, Filip Uremović, Márton Dárdai and Julian Eitschberger in the back four. Suat Serdar, captain Prince Boateng and Lucas Tousart occupied the midfield, while Dodi Lukébakio, Derry Scherhant and Myziane Maolida made up the attack.

Myziane and Prince establish half-time lead

The Floridian afternoon offered perfect conditions and 26 degrees Celsius, and the Blue-Whites created the first chance in the sun, after five minutes: Myziane’s solo run gave Scherhant an opportunity to shoot, but the Club de Lyon defence was able to get a leg in the way. Not long later, Lukébakio narrowly missed with an effort. The half went on with Hertha looking to break down the compact defensive line of the American side, which eventually did give. 23 minutes in, Scherhant was fouled inside the box on the run – Myziane made no mistake from 12 yards to give the Old Lady the lead. The Hertha chances kept coming, too: Lucas Tousart’s effort on half an hour was exceptionally saved by the opposition goalkeeper, but he could do nothing to prevent the second goal a minute later. Myziane, central to the action, played in a centre which found Prince, his finish low into the corner for the second goal. Shortly before the break, captain Prince almost bagged himself a second and his team a third, but his shot was blocked by the defence (37’). The half finished with the Blue-Whites two goals up.

Ngankam scores third, Goller and Klemens make debuts

The second 45 got underway with two changes, one of whom made his first-team debut: Tim Goller replaced Christensen between the posts for his first minutes, whilst Ngankam came on for Prince, Tousart taking the captain’s armband. The first chance took slightly longer to come about than in the first half, but with just over ten minutes of the second period gone, Lukébakio curled a free-kick towards the Orlando-based team’s goal. Not long later, a set piece created another goal for the Blue-Whites, as Ngankam was fouled inside the penalty area. With 61 minutes on the clock, the man who won the kick, took it, and made it 3-0 to Hertha. Shortly afterwards, another first-team debut was made, as U19s captain Pascal Klemens replaced Lukébakio (62’). The 17-year-old and his team played out an uneventful end to the game, with no further goals meaning it ended in a 3-0 Hertha win.

Hertha BSC: Christensen (46‘ Goller) – Kenny, Uremović, Dárdai, Eitschberger – Tousart, Prince (C) (46‘ Ngankam), Serdar – Lukébakio (62’ Klemens), Myziane, Scherhant

Goals: 1-0 Myziane (23’ Pen.), 2-0 Prince (31’), 3-0 Ngankam (61’ Pen.)

Yellow Cards: Prince, Serdar, Uremović

Referee: Alejo Calume

Venue: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida