week 22 - match report
Bajramovic seals 2-1 win in Berlin
Hertha: Fiedler - Madlung, van Burik, Chahed - Dardai (Samba 69'), Kovac - Bastürk, Marcelinho, Gilberto - Pantelic, Sverkos
Schalke: Rost - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Kobiashvili - Poulsen - Ernst, Bajramovic - Lincoln (Varela 90') - Asamoah (Sand 81'), Kuranyi (Larsen 86')
Goals: 0-1 Asamoah (7'), 1-1 Madlung (33'), 1-2 Bajramovic (45'/+2')
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Dr Wack (Biberbach)
Yellow cards: Pantelic, Kovac - Bordon
Red cards (second yellow): Gilberto (85', persistent foul play) - Ernst (66', persistent foul play)
Hertha BSC Berlin (1) 1-2 (2) FC Schalke 04
The Royal Blues stayed on course after a 2-1 win at Hertha BSC Berlin thanks to goals from Gerald Asamoah and Zlatan Bajramovic. But Fabian Ernst was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Head coach Mirko Slomka made two changes to the team for the match at the Olympic Stadium, Levan Kobiashvili replacing Sebastian Boenisch in defence and Gerald Asamoah coming in for Sören Larsen, who has been suffering from adductor problems. Two switches that were to pay off.
Marcelo Bordon missed a good headed chance from a Lincoln corner after just three minutes, but soon it was Gerald Asamoah's turn to have a go. And the Germany international made no mistake. Released by an excellent pass from Christian Poulsen, Asamoah caught the Berlin defence on the wrong foot and slipped the ball through Hertha keeper Christian Fiedler's legs to give his side an early lead.
But Schalke somehow construed to hand the initiative back to the home side. In the 15th minute Rafinha cleared Alexander Madlung's header off the line, and then Frank Rost had to intervene when Yildiray Bastürk cut the ball back from the by-line. At the other end of the pitch Kevin Kuranyi had an opportunity to double Schalke's lead from a Lincoln free-kick, but the Germany striker was unable to get any power on his header and the ball sailed over the crossbar. Fiedler would have had no chance.
So instead of being 2-0 up, the Royal Blues suddenly found themselves pegged back to 1-1. From a free-kick by Marcelinho, Chahed slipped the ball to Madlung, who netted from eight metres. When the ball crossed the line Rost was already lying dazed on the ground. The Royal Blues appealed for a foul, but the Schalke keeper had in fact been involved in an unfortunate collision with team-mate Kevin Kuranyi. Fabian Ernst protested too vigorously and was shown the yellow card by referee Dr Wack - a booking with consequences.
After conceding the equaliser Schalke regained the initiative and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. A long ball from Mladen Krstajic found Zlatan Bajramovic, whose initial shot was parried by Fiedler. But the Bosnian got to the rebound first and directed his shot just inside the right-hand post.
With the lead in their favour Slomka's team sat back and invited the home side to attack, but initially had only one moment of danger to survive when Krstajic was forced to divert a right-foot shot from Pal Dardai for a corner at the last second in the 48th minute. On 65 minutes Lincoln had an excellent opportunity to extend Schalke's lead when he was put through by Poulsen. But with only the keeper to beat he rushed his shot and Fiedler had no trouble making the save.
Moments later the game took a new turn when Ernst was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Bastürk. In spite of being a man down Schalke maintained their focus in defence and did not allow the home side a single goalscoring opportunity. And parity was restored in terms of team strength when Gilberto was also shown a second yellow five minutes from time after a foul on Rafinha. The Schalke goal came under threat only once more when a cross from Vaclav Sverkos flew across the face of the penalty area, but none of the Czech's team mates was able to get a touch on the ball.
