A Visit From Some Friends

Karlsruher SC, our friends from Baden, come up for a visit on Saturday. When we went over to their place earlier in the season we left the points with them. This week, I hope that they return the favor.

Despite falling off a bit lately, KSC have been the surprise of this season. Freshly promoted from the 2. Bundesliga, they currently lie 10th, 3 places (and seven points) ahead of us. We’ve got a Fanfreundschaft with them, which I detailed for the away game, so it’s generally a good time when the two teams meet. Let’s hope it is again.

Just like last game, we’ve got a bit more incentive to take points than Karlsruher as we’re not technically safe yet. A good run of form by one of the bottom clubs combined with a continuing reluctance to win on our part could be dangerous in the final few games of the season. KSC, though, are just in solid mid-table form. Pretty good for a just-promoted team.

As far as the actual match preview news goes, Hertha might be missing a few players- Arne Freidrich has an ankle knock, Steve von Bergen picked up yet another thigh strain, and Andre Lima is with his newborn daughter in hospital in Brazil. Good luck to him, and I hope she recovers soon. Josip Simunic broke his nose, but he’s likely to play anyway, perhaps with one of those fetching John Terry masks. But Pante and Raffael are both fit, so that’s something.

Jaroslav Drobny has been talking up the need to win, after a long series of draws and losses. Can’t agree with you more, Jaroslav. Let’s do some winning.

I don’t really make predictions (in case anyone hasn’t noticed that by now), but I’m hoping that our friends will return last round’s favor. Three points for Hertha would be a great present.

Category: match preview