There are worries about the attendance in the stadium for this home match with only 20,000 tickets having been sold for the game just after the Berlin derby. By the night before the match, BZ reported ticket sales of 34.011. On the night the big screens anounced 37, 347 tickets were sold for the match.
Several factors may be in play with the early worries including: It's Monday night so not easy to get to, its cold, its soon after the derby and people may have had to choose between the two, its on "free" TV and, did I mention, it's cold! Some people in the bar I was in a few hours before the match were settling in for the night in front of the TV with Hertha flags to wave saying about it being cold. Well I went and it wasn't too bad really.
At the moment the next closest rival is Köln who are still 13 points behind us even after beating Union 2:0 on Saturday (Spieltag 23). The surprise result on Sunday where Braunschweig lost at home to 1860 München. Ex Hertha player Rob Friend gave us a boost by scoring the first off the two goals for 1860 with the second coming with just five minutes of the match remaining from Benjamin Lauth. The final result of 1:2 gives Hertha another opportunity to go top - even a point clear on Monday!
Kraft Burchert Ndjeng Niemeyer Ramos Brooks Schulz Kluge Morales Wagner Pekarik Lusti Knoll Ronny Kobi Holland Lasogga Franz
I arrived a little early at the Olympiastadion as I wanted a good wander around before the match, check out the fanshop etc - the normal drill! The match got off to a brisk start and within just few minutes Hertha were awarded a penalty and the Red Devil keeper picked up a yellow card. Ronny stepped up and was not at his best and Sippel saved it with ease. |
| Something that really doesn't really come across on the TV is the support offered by the home crowd. Just the volume, the sound, the chanting, singing, and the roar when there's a goal. Much is said about goal music in German football. Well, if its there - I don;'t hear it when Hertha score! |
Spitzenreiter, Spitzenreiter, Hey Hey! Top of the table with 11 games to play - 13 points clear of the playoff spot with 33 points left up for grabs so just 21 points needed, maybe less!