Hertha BSC wanted to give an answer to the lousy appearance at FC Schalke 04, but delivered only another disappointment against Karlsruher SC. So it doesn’t get anything with the climb.
After the 1-2 defeat at FC Schalke 04, there was a lot to process. Hertha BSC had presented himself to the season without ideas and was literally pushed around by the “royal blue”. There was nothing to be seen from the fact that the Berliners could keep their axis, made promising transfers at an early stage and therefore had excellent conditions for the season preparation. The fact that the capital club had very aggressively formulated nothing more than the climb as a goal anyway.
If the Herthan appearance in Gelsenkirchen was something like a shock, the deep disillusionment followed against Karlsruher SC. The indifferent appearance at the 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon asked almost more questions than he was able to answer from the Schalke game. However, he made it clear that the 1st matchday was not just an operating accident. Again the blue and white disappointed. Again the question arises how it can be.
Kennet-Eichhorn-Hertha-BSC debuet
Another sleepy start
It was clear to everyone involved: Hertha had to change a lot after appearing at Schalke to show a different face against the KSC. “We have to get the energy on the pitch – that was not successful against Schalke in the 1st half”Toni Leistner clarified shortly before kick-off at the “Sky” microphone.
But the start of the game did not convince as on matchday 1. On the contrary. Again, Hertha did not seem completely concentrated and hot, again the Berliners brought their opponents into play with slight mistakes. Both Leistner and Marton Dardai recorded serious individuals in the first few minutes, each of which would have led to Karlsruhe’s leadership. Errors that the players in this way should not actually happen and that the head problem of the Berliners once again came to the fore.
The biggest increase to the Schalke game
Over time, Hertha could at least stabilize against the ball. The biggest improvements compared to the Schalke game were counter press and backward movement. The home side were handle -bossed in a duel, immediately added pass options and rarely let the KSC come into its desired switching moments. From the game, the guests could hardly develop any danger to the early minutes.
An increase was defensive, but not with opposing standards. Shortly before the end of the game, the KSC had the chance to take the lead after a corner – here Hertha was simply lucky that the ball did not land in the goal.
Hertha fan block in the 2nd Bundesliga.
The game with ball is worried
The fact that the play equipment did not roll over the line on the other half of the game was due to Hertha’s, dramatically weak offensive game. The game with ball has so far been very worried. “It is a fact that we have to get better in our transitional game and in the last third. We have to better position our strikers into position”Hertha’s coach Stefan Leitl recorded after the game.
Uri Zahavi, Sportschau, 10.08.2025 5:53 p.m.
Some of the minimum requirements for productive ball possession are missing. Hertha’s players move too little away from the ball leaders, offer few pass options in a small space and hardly form triangles. After two games, good solutions through the center of the game are out of the question, Hertha’s game is unhealthy despite the outstanding playmaker like Michael Cuisance or Maurice Krattenmacher – and so easily calculating.
Hertha’s striker hang in the air
Hertha’s center forward Dawid Kownacki and Fabian Reese are still completely in the air and hardly take part in the game. Hertha’s possession of the ball creates hardly any interfaces in which both attackers can storm to tear down the opposing defense block. In addition, Hertha’s players often do not consistently do it to build up pressure and set themselves in the last third.
The result was hardly any penalty area campaigns, umpteen helpless half -field flanks and a lot of uninspired distant shots. Nine shots, only five of them on the goal, no big chance and an XG value of 1.05 are dramatic values for a home team with promotion. In this form, the capitals, who were already harmless against Schalke, will not be a big challenge for any opponent.
So far no factor for Hertha: newcomer Dawid Kownacki
The excuses are missing
Despite the 0-0 and only one point in two games, coach Leitl is still quiet. He emphasized that Hertha’s best phase in the first 15 minutes of the second half were as he would have imagined. But when a phase in which Hertha played quite powerfully but did not create a real goal risk, is already emphasized as a good one, then the question arises where Hertha actually wants to go playfully. So far, Hertha’s appearances have been alarming at a loss. It is not clear which playing style the Berliners should award in the current season.
Rather, it looks as if the team still had to find themselves. However, this condition is actually unacceptable in view of the quality and long joint preparation. The excuses are simply missing why Hertha should not be as far as other teams in the 2nd Bundesliga and are still looking for his identity. It is logical that not everything has to interlink after two match days, but Hertha’s level of development raises profound questions.
Not even stagnation
The team currently looks worse than in the past second half of the season under Leitl – and at that time it played against relegation. It would have been problematic to stagnate in that state – because even then Hertha plagued big deficits in a playful way. But the Berliners were difficult to beat and stringent to stage differently Reese differently. This resulted in a little shiny but very stable series of seven unbeaten games in a row-including 3: 1 victory over the KSC.
But Hertha is not even stagnating, the blue-whites are currently declining in their development. Many individual mistakes, the first appearance of great defensive uncertainties and after two games no clearly recognizable idea with ball are a worrying interim certificate.
In the future, the point win against the KSC can only be seen as a success if it gave the team the necessary security to take further development steps in the coming weeks and thus get a foot into the season. After all, the first table positions are already five points away. This is how a promotion race may be a marathon, but even in this it needs a good sprint to catch up after a stumbling block. Hertha has to run now.
Broadcast: RBB24 evening show, 10.08.2025, 7:30 p.m.
