Our next opponents: Spirit of optimism at the Old Lady

Position

The rescue mission in the capital has got off to a winning start. The 3-0 victory over TSG Hoffenheim before the international break was welcomed by new head coach Felix Magath as a successful start – albeit in his absence as he was unable to attend the game at the Olympic Stadium due to a coronavirus infection. In spite of seven days self-isolation in a hotel, the 68 year-old coach did have contact with his team before the game and on the matchday via the Internet. The main task was dealt with by assistant coach Mark Fotheringham. The Scotsman did a really good job and his approach triggered enthusiasm amongst the team. Striker Marco Richter enthused: "What Mark did here was outstanding. He kept on pushing us and driving us forwards." And Niklas Stark also shared that enthusiasm: "He's crazy, that bloke. It's great fun to work with him." And the boss, as Fotheringham calls Felix Magath, has long been back on the training ground. Within a short space of time the duo appear to have breathed new life into the team that looked inhibited in recent weeks and played far below their potential. The Berliners had slipped down to next to bottom in the table under coach Tayfun Korkut who only took over the helm from Pal Dardai in November 2021. Eight defeats, just two draws, 15 goals conceded in the last four games: After the 2-0 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, the depressing record of this year finally led to the parting of company with Korkut who was the coach at Bayer 04 for three months in 2017.

Now it is the turn of Felix Magath. Nine and a half years after his last coaching job in the Bundesliga at VfL Wolfsburg, his job now is to ensure Hertha Berlin do not get relegated from the top-flight for a seventh time. His contract initially runs to the end of the season. The first win for the club from the capital this year led to great relief amongst the players and Hertha fans. And the three points also saw the team move up from seventeenth to the play-off spot. But Magath doesn't want to make too much of it. "A wonderful start, no question. The win helps the players to gain confidence. But one game, one win and you're out of the relegation battle: Unfortunately, it's not that easy. It will be difficult enough to get a result in the next match in Leverkusen." In order to be able to prepare in peace and quiet for this match and the forthcoming games, Magath took his team to a short training camp this week in Harsewinkel in East Westphalia.

Personnel

The new coaching duo opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation against Hoffenheim with Niklas Stark playing as the only holding midfielder in front of the defence. "We kept the lines tight, communicated well and that's usually the basis for a win," said Stark who not only stood out as an organiser but also as a goalscorer at 1-0 in setting up the win. The back four of the two central defenders Marc Oliver Kempf, a winter signing from VfB Stuttgart, and captain Dedryck Boyata plus Peter Pekarik and Marvin Plattenhardt in the full-back positions gave very little way against Hoffenheim.

In central midfield, the Argentinian Santiago Ascacibar and the Frenchman Lucas Tousart closed down space while the former Schalke player Suat Serdar took a more attacking role. Marco Richter, signed from FC Augsburg last summer, played on the right flank. The 24-year-old with five goals is the second highest scorer for the Blue and Whites behind fellow striker Steven Jovetic (6). As the latter was sidelined with a muscle injury, the Algerian Ishak Belfodil was the lone striker.

Jovetic, who scored in the 1-1 draw against the Werkself earlier in the season, returns to the squad against Bayer 04 as does Hertha's best provider Vladimir Darida (five assists) after recovering from the coronavirus infection. The hopeful Berlin home-grown players, who have appeared in several games in the Bundesliga, include the defenders Linus Gechter (18) and Márton Dárdai (20) plus striker Anton Kade (18). The 21-year-old Dutchman Juergen Ekkelenkamp has also progressed well in the capital. The central midfielder came through the youth ranks at Ajax and he has scored three goals in his 18 appearances to date. "We have a good mix of experienced and young players," said Hertha's assistant coach Fotheringham.

Performers

Hertha again demonstrated how dangerous they are from set-pieces in the 3-0 win against Hoffenheim. All three goals came from Marvin Plattenhardt crosses from free kicks. "As he has such a talented left foot and strikes dead balls so well Marvin has a very special weapon," declared Felix Magath. The Berlin team have scored 12 of their 29 goals from set-pieces, which puts them eighth in this ranking. The fact the Old Lady can be very physical is shown by the 109 challenges per game that puts them in the top third of the table by comparison. No wonder that Nicolas Stark and Peter Pekarik are two head to players in the top 20 best ball winners in the league. On the front foot, determined, compact: That was the approach of the Blue and Whites against Hoffenheim.

Problems

Finally a clean sheet against TSG: The last time the Berliners achieve that was in the middle of January against VfL Wolfsburg (0-0). Otherwise, the Hertha defence has fallen apart several times this season. The defeats were particularly hard to bear against RB Leipzig (0-6 and 1-6), FC Bayern (0-5 and 1-4), Mainz 05 (0-4) and Eintracht Frankfurt (1-4). The capital club have conceded 60 goals in their 27 games so far – Hertha Berlin have never conceded as many at the same point in the season at any time in their Bundesliga history. No wonder that Felix Magath and Mark Fotheringham primarily called for a new "compactness." The new head coach said that was crucial for the win against Hoffenheim. At the same time, the team and coaching staff have to put the disquiet in the club to one side caused by the public disagreements between club president Werner Gegenbauer and investor Lars Windhorst. "Of course, you would like to see more togetherness at times like this," said Hertha CEO Fredi Bobic. "We're working on that."

Prediction

Magath and Fotheringham have created a spirit of optimism in Berlin. The coaching duo appear to be in the right place at the right time. "Now we are all full of anticipation and you can see the excitement going through the team now," said Niklas Stark. The Blue and Whites will need that in the relegation battle. The remaining fixtures could also play into the hands of the team currently sixteenth in the table. The away game in Leverkusen is followed by the derby against Union Berlin at the Olympic Stadium. And then there are three games against fellow strugglers. Hertha are away on matchday 32 to FC Augsburg level on points in fifteenth position and that is followed by a home fixture against VfB Stuttgart, also on the same points in fourteenth position, and finally there is the away game at next to bottom Arminia Bielefeld with a point less on matchday 32. So, the Old Lady still has everything in their own hands and they could be in a more relaxed position for the last two games of the season against Mainz 05 and away to Borussia Dortmund.