Facts & Figures: The top facts about the Hertha game

After a rather rocky start under new coach Stefan Leitl, Hertha BSC is gaining momentum. The Berlin club recently celebrated three consecutive victories – including an impressive 1-0 away victory against second-placed 1. FC Köln. Now the „Old Lady“ could reach a milestone: With another win, Hertha would record four consecutive victories for the first time since 2013. Back then, the head coach was Jos Luhukay – and at the end of that season, they celebrated the 2. Bundesliga championship title.

In the last match against 1. FC Köln, Fabian Reese once again emerged as the match winner: With his goal to make it 1-0, he not only secured three crucial points for Hertha BSC, but also scored for the fourth consecutive game. The 27-year-old is currently in impressive form, having scored seven of Hertha’s last eleven goals. Since joining the Berlin club, Reese has made 48 appearances, scoring 20 goals and providing 18 assists.

Hertha BSC prefers to play from the wings: With 328 crosses from open play, the Berlin team is among the most prolific in the league – only Karlsruher SC (354) and SC Paderborn (388) deliver more crosses from outside the box. The Lilies, however, needn’t let this intimidate them. A tall man is waiting in the center: Aleksandar Vukotić, a giant in the Lilies jersey at over two meters, is currently the strongest aerial tackler in the 2. Bundesliga. With 129 aerial duels won, he comfortably leads the league rankings.

To take something tangible from Berlin, one particular discipline could make the difference: set pieces – especially free kicks. This is precisely where the Old Lady’s Achilles heel lies this season. Hertha BSC has already had to clear the ball out of its own net six times after a direct or indirect free kick – no other team in the 2. Bundesliga is more vulnerable in this category.

Hertha should be prepared for one thing in particular: the Lilies‘ counterattacking prowess. Whenever their opponents give SV Darmstadt 98 too much space at the back, the South Hesse side react quickly – and strike with icy coolness. With six counterattack goals scored, SVD is among the league leaders in this discipline, ranking third. For Hertha BSC, this means that every turnover can be extremely dangerous. The Lilies know how to convert speed into goals.

Stefan Leitl and Florian Kohfeldt have faced each other as head coaches three times – and Kohfeldt has prevailed three times. While the team’s colours have changed over the years, one thing has remained constant: Leitl is still waiting for his first victory in a head-to-head duel. The last meeting between the two coaches was not that long ago: Leitl – then coach of Hannover 96 – and Kohfeldt faced off in the first half of this season. Darmstadt won 2-1 in Hannover – and Kohfeldt thus continued his personal streak against Leitl.

Leitl’s recent introduction to the blue and white club colours isn’t new to Hertha. During his playing days, the former midfielder also played for Darmstadt 98 in the Regionalliga Süd from 2004 to 2007. In 93 games for the Lilies, Leitl scored 14 goals and provided three assists.

Jean-Paul Boetius, a former Hertha player, plays for Darmstadt. The Dutchman began his career at Feyenoord Rotterdam. After loan spells with Genk and Basel, he eventually landed in Germany with Mainz 05 and then with Hertha BSC in the 2022/23 season. He made 21 Bundesliga appearances for the capital club. His CV includes a total of 143 Bundesliga appearances, including twelve goals and 20 assists. Boëtius has already made eight appearances, including two assists, in the 2. Bundesliga since joining SV 98.

Aleksandar Vukotic (9), Matej Maglica (4), Philipp Förster (4), Fabian Nürnberger (4), Fraser Hornby (4), and Merveille Papela (4) have already been booked. A further yellow card for any of the players would result in a suspension.