With noble intentions of holding off relegation and war cries of “DER GLAUBE LEBT!”, Hertha Berlin put up a grand fight but with a 1-1 draw with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, their worst fears came to volition as they will drop to the second division. The result puts Leverkusen at fourth in the Bundesliga table and in fine position to grab a spot in the Champions League, should Werder Bremen lose to Hamburger SV on the final day of the campaign.

Chances were slim for the Berliners heading into the match, with the only chance reliant upon a victory. Full of venom, venom Hertha surged forward with Theofanis Gekas, from ten metres out, rasping an effort off the woodwork at the fifth minute. Not deterred by the lack of fortune, Theofanis Gekas turned provided three minutes shy of the hour as he redirected a free kick to Raffael who made no mistake to give Berlin the 1-0 lead. Hertha continued to flourish but rue missed opportunities particularly that of Cícero’s chance ten minutes shy of the break

At the re-start, Friedhelm Funkel’s side looked solid but once again, the final touch missing. After Gojko Kačar squandered two quality chances, Werkself levelled as Manuel Friedrich raised high to head in Burak Kaplan’s corner from the right. In the final twenty minute Berlin summoned in Artur Wichniarek and Patrick Ebert, in hope for the winner but they made no advances against the determined hosts. As the whistle sounded, the match ended as a 1-1 draw and sealed the Berliners fate.

The relegation is both a sad reality for their fans and the capital city but further question of the focus of European football. Hertha is pushed deep into the Europa League is far too good of a team to be relegated but they lost touch of maintaining domestic play. Though there are questions of tactical decisions under Lucien Favre in the Hinrude, a side does go from fourth to the absolute bottom of the table without a fundamental shift in direction, in this case the riches of European competition. Unfortunately, Hertha is a victim of losing direction in domestic play and must now toil in the second division and rebound quickly. Like those in the recent past, they will find the going tough in the Bundesliga 2 and must formulate an airtight plan to see their stay short.

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Hertha Berlin’s catastrophic season took another step closer to relegation as they fell 1-0 to Schalke 04 at Olympiastadion. With the result, Schalke move level in points with Bayern München at the top of the table, whilst Berlin as at the absolute bottom. For the Berliners, with only a single win at home this year, they have only a flicker of chance to avoid relegation and in all likelihood the capital city will lose the top flight of football next year.

With the noble intentions of the hosts cry “DER GLAUBE LEBT!” and their voracious fans waiting for a response, the match started tight. Neither side was willing to expose themselves, as a slip could prove fatal. After the quarter-hour, Hertha fashioned the first chance of the day with Theofanis Gekas sending Adrián Ramos provision over the bar. After Schalke jousted with a fine chance the balance of the half ground down to a midfield battle with nary an effort at either goalkeeper.

Schalke came out determined after the break but Berliner ‘keeper Jaroslav Drobný stopped Hao Junmin from close range. Felix Magath’s side were beginning to dictate the run of play before a surge at the hour by the hosts. Through the work of Raffael and Theofanis Gekas, the Berliners began to carve out openings but each parry was dealt with by the visitors before disaster struck with three minutes remaining in regulation time. Die Königsblauen went out in front 1-0 as Vicente Sánchez got on the end of a long ball on the left flank before crossing to Jefferson Farfán, whose header was pushed out by Jaroslav Drobný, only to see Heiko Westermann swiftly deposited the rebound into the net from five metres. Without further incident, the match concluded 1-0 in Schalke’s favour and the 60,000 plus in attendance heads dropped in disbelief.

Though there are two weeks remaining in the campaign and Hertha will fight to the last moment, the chances are not great. Should they manage a stunning great escape, many questions will remain because this is far too good of a side to be playing in the second division. Their dysfunctional play is due large in part to a function of attention on the Europa League and forgetting domestic play until it is too late. While there are countless tactical decisions to be debated and personnel choices to be reviewed, the fact remains that while their efforts were channelled into the Europa League, they dug a hole that will likely cost the club and its fans dearly.

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A fortuitous late goal by Cacau gave VfB Stuttgart a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin at Olympiastadion, sending the Berliners closer to relegation. With the result, VfB climbs to sixth in the table, whilst Berlin languishes at the bottom of the Bundesliga table, trailing closest target Freiburg by three points with only four weeks remaining.

With a restricted crowd in attendance due to problems at the Nürnberg contest, the Berliners showed good intent but as the story has went through their horrific run at home finishing was lacking. Shy of the half-hour Levan Kobiashvili was stopped by VfB ‘keeper Jens Lehmann from eight metres with Theofanis Gekas narrowly missing the mark shortly after the break. Die Schwaben broke the hearts of Berlin fans with sixteen minutes remaining in regulation time as Cacau’s effort from twenty metres came off Steve von Bergen and soared over ‘keeper Jaroslav Drobný into then net. Friedhelm Funkel summoned Polish international Artur Wichniarek as an added striker but Stuttgart was resolute in defending and claimed the 1-0 victory.

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Hertha Berlin put up a mighty front in their bid to avoid relegation with a dominant 3-0 victory over Köln at the RheinEnergieStadion. With the result, the Berliners climb to within three points of SC Freiburg in the final relegation spot, whilst Köln is thirteenth in the table is at thirteenth position.

Friedhelm Funkel’s side went in front five minutes shy of half-hour as Raffael latched onto the rebound of a Adrián Ramos effort before surging in through the right channel and driving the ball in from seven metres. Köln came close to levelling but after their efforts fell short, Raffael, from five metres out, sent in Lukasz Piszczek provision after a long cross from the right. Following the second goal the hosts advances slowed considerably and with seventeen minutes remaining, Youssef Mohamad received his second yellow-card, forcing Köln to play a man down. Cícero sent the resulting free kick in from just outside the area as the Berliners eased towards the victory. With three minutes left, Zoran Tošić received two rapid fire yellow-cards, forcing Köln to finish the match with nine men, however it made no difference as Hertha Berlin claimed the 3-0 victory.

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Hertha Berlin’s fight to avoid relegation edged forward as they played Borussia Dortmund to nil draw at the Olympiastadion. With the result the Berliners are at the bottom of the Bundesliga table, four points off Hannover 96 and Freiburg, whilst BVB is in the fourth spot.

Die Schwarzgelben were without the services of Nelson Valdez, Mats Hummels, Tinga and Damien Le Tallec, while the hosts were nearly fully-fit. From the opening whistle BVB had to defend against their committed hosts, who were posing a number of menacing efforts towards BVB ‘keeper Roman Weidenfeller. After Theofanis Gekas, Ramos and Raffael were unable to put Berlin in front before the break, BVB began to create some opportunities but like the hosts, the final touch was lacking.

Frustrated by the visitors, the best opportunity of the day resulted in a highly controversial call at the eightieth minute. Greek international Theofanis Gekas got on the end of poor clearance from a long ball and sent into the net. However, the goal was pulled back in a dubious offside call to the dismay of Berliners voracious supporters. After a late effort by BVB proved insufficient, the match ended as a scoreless draw.

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Staring into the abyss of relegation, Hertha Berlin responded with a 5-1 detonation of VfL Wolfsburg at Volkswagen Arena. With seven weeks left in the Bundesliga campaign the Berliners face a daunting task of making up five points on Hannover 96 and SC Freiburg from the bottom of the table, whilst Wolfsburg sit at the tenth spot.

In clearly their best match of the campaign, the Berliners who at the start of the day were one of the worst attacking sides in the Bundesliga, went out in-front by a three goal margin before the half-hour. Six minutes after the opening whistle, Theofanis Gekas took advantage of road weary Wolfsburg and accepted Raffael’s provision from the right by-line before firing past ‘keeper Marwin Hitz into the opposite left corner of the net. Pride was evident as the Berliners could not be held back and went up 2-0 only two minutes later as Adrián Ramos took advantage of scandalous defending as HSV ‘keeper Jaroslav Drobný sent a long ball that simply bounced over the Wolfsburg defenders and the striker volleyed into the net from fifteen metres. Four minutes shy of the half-hour Berlin pressed forward and went out in front 3-0 as Theofanis Gekas got on the end of Cícero’s through ball on the left channel and turned the ball past the shell shocked Wolfsburg ‘keeper. Wolfsburg manager Lorenz-Günther Köstner summoned Grafite in for Jan Šimůnek five minutes after the hour and only a minute later the striker turned in Edin Džeko’s cross from the left by-line to make it 3-1 but without question, this was Berlin’s day.

After the break, the Berliners kept pouring forward in as much as point of confidence as well as statement for the rest of the Bundesliga in the remaining weeks. At the sixty-third minute Arne Friedrich surged forward before sending the ball to Theofanis Gekas just inside the area and after the striker fought off the Wolfsburg defenders he drilled his third of evening into the net. To the delight of their travelling supporters, with five minutes remaining in regulation time, Adrián Ramos, at the left side of the area, accepted a pass from Fabian Lustenberger before sending a right-footed effort to give Hertha Berlin the 5-1 victory. Berlin’s task is a great one but with their pedigree, they are capable of the greatest of escapes.

Both sides return to play next Saturday as the Berliners welcome surging Borussia Dortmund to Olympiastadion, whilst VfL Wolfsburg visits Mainz.

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Hertha Berlin’s hopes of avoiding relegation were dealt a tough lesson as they succumbed late, to lose 2-1 to Nürnberg at the Olympiastadion. Coming off their stunning upset of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the win jettisons FCN to fifteenth in the Bundesliga table, whilst the Berliners are at the rock bottom, a full nine points from safety.

The match started positive for the Berliners and by the quarter hour, they appeared to be in clear control of the proceedings. After a series of chances that came up for naught, Theofanis Gekas, from close-range, sent in a rebound of Cícero’s effort to give Hertha Berlin the 1-0 lead before the break.

However, missed opportunities cost Hertha dearly and just past the hour Nürnberg found the leveller as Albert Bunjaku headed Marcel Risse’s corner from the left. The Berliners were clearly on their heels for the reminder of the day and deep into added-time Angelos Charisteas accepted İlkay Gündogan’s provision before sending the ball past ‘keeper Jaroslav Drobný from seven metres out for the 2-1 victory. The goal sparked a notable pitch invasion from Hertha supporters who are beginning to accept the stark reality that their side are slipping off to the Bundesliga second division.

On Sunday, Hertha Berlin faces surging VfL Wolfsburg at Volkswagen Arena, whilst Nürnberg welcome 1899 Hoffenheim to the Frankenstadion the previous day.

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Hamburger defeated relegation threatened Hertha Berlin 1-0 at the Volksparkstadion. With the result HSV sit at fourth in the Bundesliga table, whilst Hertha Berlin woeful campaign see them holding up the table.

Bruno Labbadia’s HSV were lucky to grab points from the match as they were outplayed for most of the affair. After the “Alte Dame” squandered a number of fine chances, HSV scored the matches lone goal at the fortieth minutes as Marcell Jansen latched onto a loose ball and slotted it in from seven metres. The Berliners continued to show good attacking vision throughout the match but were unable to materialize and the match ended 1-0 in favour of Hamburger SV.

Hamburger SV returns to play next Thursday in Europa League play as they welcome Anderlecht to Volksparkstadion before visiting Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday. Hertha Berlin welcomes Nürnberg to Olympiastadion in a crucial relegation fight on Saturday.

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Hertha Berlin’s bid to avoid relegation was held up with a 2-0 loss to 1899 Hoffenheim at the Olympiastadion. With the result, the Berliners hold down the bottom of the Bundesliga table, trailing Hannover 96 by two points, whilst 1899 Hoffenheim are at the ninth spot.

Buoyed by last weeks victory over Freiburg, Friedhelm Funkel’s Hertha Berlin showed tremendous resolve but lacked the final touch. The hosts narrowly jumped in front in the early moments as Rafael dislodged Marvin Compper but sent his effort wide of the goal post. The Berliners continued to press forward with efforts from Adrián Ramos and Rafael effort coming up empty. Against the run of play, 1899 took the 1-0 lead ten minutes shy of the break as Christian Eichner surged down the left before sending a pass to Demba Ba, with the Senegalese striker getting past defender Arne Friedrich before driving the ball past Berlin goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobný.

The Berliners were clearly the most adventurous side after the break, though 1899 was comfortable sitting on their heels and absorbing pressure. Just before the end of regulation time Bosnia and Herzegovina international Vedad Ibišević accepted Carlos Eduardo and drilled the ball to the back of the net to seal a 2-0 victory for 1899 Hoffenheim.

Hertha Berlin returns to play next Saturday as they travel to face Hamburger SV at Volksparkstadion, whilst 1899 Hoffenheim welcomes Mainz to Sinsheim

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Benfica advanced to the round of sixteen in the Europa League with a 4-0 defeat of Hertha Berlin at Estádio da Luz. The Liga Portuguesa leaders will now face either FC København or Olympique de Marseille.

Following last weeks 1-1 draw in the German capital the Berliners overwhelmed Freiburg in domestic play and the once impossible “great escape” from relegation has quickly become a distinct possibility. Clearly that influenced their decisions as with Roman Hubník, Fabian Lustenberger, Levan Kobiashvili and Theofanis Geka penciled out of the starting eleven, the Berliners were prioritizing Sunday’s match against 1899 Hoffenheim as opposed to today’s affair.

The hosts took the 1-0 lead five minutes shy of the half-hour as Pablo Aimar accepted Javier Saviola’s provision on the edge of the area, got past Arne Friedrich before sending the ball past Jaroslav Drobný from eleven metres. Though Benfica were in clear control of the proceedings, including another effort by Pablo Aimar that rang off the bar, they were unable to build on the lead prior to the break.

Three minutes after the break, Óscar Cardozo doubled Benfica’s lead as he nodded in Ángel Di María’s cross. Benfica made it 3-0 moments before the hour as Javi García sent in a poorly cleared Pablo Aimar corner. At the sixty-second minute Óscar Cardozo took one touch to control Ángel Di María’s cross from the left before sending the ball in from five metres out bringing the match to the final 4-0 score.

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