Three-goal Hertha too good for Hamburg
Berlin - Hertha Berlin registered their third straight home win and third of the season overall thanks to a 3-0 victory over struggling Hamburger SV.
Ben-Hatira breaks the deadlock
Änis Ben-Hatira was at the double with a second-half brace, while John Heitinga chipped in with his first-ever Bundesliga goal to help the dominant capital city side to a deserved triumph at the Olympiastadion.
Hoping to extend their unbeaten streak to three outings, Hamburg started confidently, dominating possession in the early stages, yet clear-cut goalscoring opportunities proved difficult to come by at both ends before the break. Pierre-Michel Lasogga twice came close to finding the net against his former side, steering Rafael van der Vaart's free-kick wide on two separate occasions, while at the other end Salomon Kalou saw a close-range effort denied by Jaroslav Drobny.
Hertha upped the pressure after the break, bossing both the rhythm and chances in front of goal. Marcel Ndjeng was unlucky to see his powerful effort bounce off the crossbar, but Jos Luhukay’s men saw their dominance pay dividends 59 minutes into the game when Ben-Hatira slotted the ball in after twisting an turning his way past the HSV defence, with Heitinga doubling the Berliners’ advantage only six minutes later with the simplest of tap-ins. Hertha remained the superior side as the game progressed, Ben-Hatira beating Drobny for a second time late on, all but sealing three points for the Old Lady.
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