Jos Luhukay's Hertha Berlin will host Champions League-chasing Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night, as the pressure mounts after a disappointing campaign so far.
"We've got a great deal of work to do"
- Thomas Kraft
Hertha would have been looking to bounce immediately back from an abysmal first half of Bundesliga season, but immediately slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Werder Bremen, courtesy of a Franco di Santo brace. "It's just not on that we start the second half of the season with such a performance,'' bemoaned goalkeeper Thomas Kraft on Sunday. "We've got a great deal of work to do. We're just making too many simple mistakes and we don't have the required incision up front."
The result leaves Hertha just a point clear of the relegation zone, with Bremen jumping above them as a result. Luhukay's side have collected just 18 points from 18 games so far and face a real relegation scrap if they cannot turn their fortunes around. Three points against Leverkusen looks unlikely, but a shock result might just provide them with the boost they need.
"Hertha will want to show a different face at home"
- Roger Schmidt
For Roger Schmidt's side, it is a question of not being complacent, as they have the talent to comfortably pick up the three points on Wednesday night. Schmidt played down his side's chances, however, highlighting their successful results rather than their disappointing one's: "It's going to be very difficult, particularly because Hertha lost in Bremen and will now want to show a different face at home,'' he said. "Berlin have been extremely strong at home this season. They beat Dortmund and Wolfsburg at the Olympiastadion and so it's going to be a very intense, tight match in which we're going to have to be well organised and take our chances.''
Leverkusen will be looking to show something themselves, after being held to a 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund last weekend - a game in which they weren't given many chances. The result leaves them sixth in the Bundesliga table, but just one point adrift of Schalke 04 in the last Champions League spot. Three points against a struggling Hertha on Wednesday night may make all the difference.