Hertha BSC 4-0 Union Berlin
Hertha BSC scored their second straight victory since the resumption of the Bundesliga after an exemplary second-half performance which ended in a 4-0 tally over their city rivals Union Berlin last night.
After a goalless effort in the first half, Die Alte Dame picked up the pace and took advantage of their opponents’ porous defence by pumping in four goals in what was a spectacular outing from their marquee players.
Team captain Vedad Ibisevic inspired the team’s attack in the second half. After scoring the first goal of the match via a header, the Bosnian forward created more chances for his other teammates to add more goals on their tally.
Dodi Lukebakio and Matheus Cunha were beneficiaries of Vedad Ibisevic’s playmaking with goals of their own and Dedryck Boyata put the nail in the coffin with a late score after a corner kick.
This was supposed to be a hard-fought and exciting affair as per our Bundesliga 2020 odds since this was the first-ever East-West derby in German top-flight. But after watching this game, it’s clear that Union Berlin are still a work in progress compared to their nemesis.
SBOBET recaps yesterday’s set of Bundesliga 2020 highlights.
Highlights of the game
With the Old Lady desperate to accumulate points in order to avoid the dreaded relegation zone, a couple of fine performances were needed for them to do so.
Momentum was clearly on Hertha’s side prior to this match especially when they defeated Hoffenheim in a 3-0 clean sheet last Saturday on the road.
Meanwhile, Union Berlin were reeling after losing handily to league leaders Bayern Munich as they failed to match their quality, conceding two goals in the process.
From the start of the game, Hertha controlled the first half by dominating the possession and creating a ton of chances.
In the 17th minute, Dodi Lukebakio had a great chance when Union’s defence slipped and failed to clear the ball. It was a good thing for them that Rafal Gikiewicz was in the way to stop the Hertha speedster.
Gikiewicz saved the day once more for Union when Hertha went for another counter-attack in the 27th minute. Lukebakio and Ibisevic found a cutting Cunha inside the penalty area, but the Polish goalkeeper deflected the Brazilian’s shot attempt.
Union’s first real chance came before the end of the first half via a set piece. However, Robert Andrich’s long shot was off target.
Fast forward to the 51st minute, Hertha were up and running again and then they scored their first goal of the match via a header from Vedad Ibisevic after a lovely cross by Marvin Plattenhardt.
Hertha pumped in their second goal just a minute later when Dodi Lukebakio outran Union’s defence and he topped it off with a low, cool finish.
Goals continue to come in for Hertha as the game wore on. In the 61st minute, Matheus Cunha finally converted after Union failed to clear the ball once more. He was at the right place and at the right time when Lukebakio missed his wild bicycle kick attempt after a volley.
To cap off their spectacular night, Dedryck Boyata scored off of a header via a corner kick from Marvin Plattenhardt in the 77th minute.
“We know what the game means for our fans. This time we produced a really good performance,” said Vedad Ibisevic during the post-match interview.
Key statistics
Bruno Labaddia is the Old Lady’s fifth coach since June 2019, following Pal Dardai, Ante Covic, Jurgen Klinsmann, and Alexander Nouri.
With two straight wins, Hertha improved to the 10th spot of the Bundesliga table with 34 points.
Hertha’s attack have been great since the season resumed. All of their last seven goals were scored in the second half, making them a dangerous late-game club.
Vedad Ibisevic has always been the x-factor for Die Alte Dame since they are yet to be defeated when he scores the first goal of the game (W15, D4).
His attacking partner and soon-to-be-father Matheus Cunha has had a direct hand in five goals in his six Hertha appearances (four goals and one assist).
Union Berlin had won the reverse fixture last November thanks to a late penalty, but last night they had zero shots on target while Hertha had eight great chances overall.
What’s next?
Hertha BSC will go on the road once more to visit RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Union Berlin will get to host Mainz at the An der alten Forsterei Stadium on the same date before locking horns with Borussia Monchengladbach three days after.
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