I Like Internet Jokes

Even when they’re old, and even when I reference them too much. Which means that every time I do a match preview for a game against Arminia Bielefeld, I will make a reference to one of my very favorites, the Bielefeld Conspiracy.

It’s still funny, damn it.

Anyways. We’ve got the Friday match this week, which used to mean that it would be the one time GolTV would show one of the more obscure teams (like Hertha) in a game not involving one of the big teams. That is no longer the case, sadly. But playing on Friday this week does mean that if we are to win against Bielefeld, we’ll be top of the table for a night.

This means that we’re getting actual press mentions in Bundesliga previews, something that I can’t recall ever happening. (The superstitious part of me does not like this. I almost feel like if people start to notice that we’re doing so well, it’ll stop. I’m weird like that.)

As the match preview says, we’ll be without the scorer of Saturday, Marko Pantelic. We’re also still without his countryman Gojko Kacar, who’s been out for a bit with some various pains. Now it’s his Achilles. He was hoping to make a comeback tomorrow, but it’s been pushed back again. There’s also some questions about Kapitän Arne Friedrich, who’s been dealing with a back problem all week and may not be quite fit to face his old club. He’s likely to be replaced by Kaka if he doesn’t pass a late fitness test. As far as up front, it’s likely that Raffael will be moved up front, leaving new signing Marko Babic to make his first start on the left side of midfield.

Bielefeld may be 14th, and as always worried about relegation, but they’re no pushovers. Last week they went to Bremen and won 2-1. While Bremen are having an awful year, one must remember that we went to Bremen and lost 5-1. And an away win is always good for boosting a team’s confidence. In the first half of the season Bielefeld left Berlin with a draw, and we actually haven’t won there since 2002. Plus, they’ve got not one, but two ex-Herthaners, in midfielder Thorben Marx and striker Artur Wichniarek, both of whom scored against Bremen last week. Wichniarek is particularly dangerous, with 11 goals already this season and a nickname of “King Artur” at Bielefeld.

As always, I’m declining to make a real prediction. It’s hard to predict us right now anyway. It could go either way, so let’s hope for the right one…

Category: match preview

Tags: match preview

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