Can record-breaking Hertha Berlin extend remarkable unbeaten start?
Hertha Berlin maintained their unbeaten start in Bundesliga 2 by overcoming promotion rivals Wolfsburg 2-1 on Matchday 11. Sitting seven points clear at the summit, the Old Lady are eyeing a Bundesliga return…
Boasting an almost perfect record with 10 wins and one draw after nearly a third of the season, Hertha's 31-point tally at this stage of their season represents their best second-tier return yet, surpassing the 26 points they amassed after 11 games in 2010/11 which helped see the Berlin club crowned champions and secure their return to Germany’s top flight come May.
What’s more, it’s the first time after 11 matchdays that Hertha, who have held top spot since Matchday 4, remain unbeaten - a feat that’s all the more remarkable when considering their summer overhaul.
Watch: Hertha Berlin 2-1 Wolfsburg - highlights
Last season’s top scorer Fabian Reese departed for promotion rivals Wolfsburg, while Kennet Eichhorn and Maurice Krattenmacher joined Bundesliga clubs Bayer Leverkusen and Elversberg respectively. Elsewhere, Tjark Ernst, Michael Cuisance and Marten Winkler joined European-competing clubs Feyenoord, Lens and Anderlecht.
Speaking to the Bundesliga, Sebastian Grønning - who’s already chalked up four goals and one assist in 10 league outings, bettering last season’s haul - didn’t envisage Hertha’s impressive start.
“We lost a lot of players and had to change our philosophy. But from the friendly matches and the first two games of the season, we got the feeling that we really had something we could build on,” he explained. “That confidence has grown from game to game and from win to win. It has given us the belief that we’re doing something right.”
Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen was their only permanent signing, while Oluwaseun Adewumi from English Championship outfit Burnley was one of three loan signings. Since his arrival, the Austrian has returned five goals in 11 appearances, including Hertha’s first against Wolfsburg in front of 70,928 fans - Germany’s second biggest attendance all weekend after Borussia Dortmund vs. Elversberg.
“That was another incredible game, over 70,000 fans - it just gives you goosebumps,” beamed Adewumi, who exudes confidence. “I’m happy that we secured three points at home and were able to keep our winning streak.
“If we keep playing like this, it could be a really great season.”
Playing high-octane football with an ability to switch to a pragmatic approach when needed, no team boasts a better goal difference (+16) than the Old Lady this season having struck 25 goals, only one fewer than second-placed Nuremberg and fifth-placed Wolfsburg, while only Kaiserslautern have conceded fewer than Hertha’s nine goals.
Indeed, head coach Stefan Leitl has instilled a feel-good factor back at the historic club having languished in relative Bundesliga 2 mid-table obscurity since their relegation from Germany’s top flight three years ago.
Leitl’s charges took 20 matches to achieve 31 points last season, and their 10th win didn’t arrive until Matchday 24. A colossal improvement, confidence is high at the capital club as they look to secure their return to the big time.
After the international break, Hertha travel to Bundesliga 2 newcomers Energie Cottbus, who returned to the division after a 12-year absence, before hosting strugglers Karlsruhe. Their next opponents after that are a different kettle of fish, though, as they travel to the Allianz Arena in the DFB Cup round of 16, where they face Germany’s only other unbeaten team in the top three divisions in all competitions: Bayern Munich.
All things considered, Leitl’s Hertha find themselves in an excellent position with a high possibility of extending their unbeaten streak. Assessing his team’s title challenges, captain Josip Brekalo said: “Everything is tight in this league, and we'd be wise to continue taking it one game at a time.”
