week 33 - match report

A draw with winners and losers

For the Royal Blues the match at Hertha BSC Berlin was a matter of honour. Despite seeing their dreams of a place in Europe come to an end on Wednesday, they gave the home side a tough test. And they got their reward, holding Hertha to a scoreless draw that dashed the Berlin outfit's hopes of their first championship title since 1931.

"Before the game we said we wanted at least a point", emphasised caretaker boss Mike Büskens. "Our aim was to play our part in the title race and not allow anyone to accuse of us of going into the game half-heartedly. And that we did very well."

Mladen Krstajic was rested from the team that lost at home to Stuttgart on Wednesday, Heiko Westermann returning to the side in place of the Schalke skipper. Halil Altintop was also given a recall and operated alongside Ivan Rakitic in attacking midfield.

Hertha have earned a reputation this season for the being in the right place at the crucial time, which is reflected in a string of wins by the odd goal. Lucien Favre's men had picked up 13 points from their previous five games, and they began brightly, determined to secure the win they needed to keep their hopes of winning the league title alive. But as the game wore on the Royal Blues began to gain the upper hand in midfield. The home side continued to push forward and create more chances, but they were unable to do anything to change the scoreline. "Our play was too complicated and we gave the ball away too many times attempting to control it", opined Favre, who also acknowledged the stiff resistance offered by the Royal Blues. "It was difficult. Schalke always had men over in midfield and when they were in possession."

Nothing Hertha tried was able to change the balance of power in the second half. On the contrary, Schalke began to create chances of their own without, however, neglecting their defensive responsibilities after the home side attempted to add fresh impetus to their attack with the introduction of Andrey Voronin. "We played some very controlled football and kept our shape well", said Büskens in praise of his team. "Although Hertha had one or two opportunities, overall we didn't allow them to launch the counterattacks they are so capable of." And whenever the home side did fashion an opening, keeper Manuel Neuer was on hand to defuse the danger.

The game may have ended in a scoreless draw, but Schalke came away the moral victors, with Hertha the losers in the title race. "We're obviously disappointed", said Favre. "We wanted three points. But we still have a chance of reaching the Champions League. Wolfsburg are certainties to win the league for me. But behind them anything is possible."

Hertha: Drobny - Piszczek, Von Bergen, Stein, Simunic - Ebert (Voronin 59'), Dardai, Kacar (Domovchiyski 71'), Cicero - Raffael - Pantelic (Chermiti 81')
Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Höwedes, Westermann, Kobiashvili - Engelaar, Jones - Farfan (Sanchez 81'), Rakitic, Altintop - Kuranyi
Goals: -
Yellow cards: Dardai (5/1), Cicero (5/3) - Sanchez (4)
Attendance: 74,244 (sold out)
Referee: Gagelmann (Bremen)