Ich bin kein Berliner, Hertha Berlin 0-1 Galatasaray

By: Musab | December 3rd, 2008

After last week’s humiliating loss against lowly Metalist Kharkiv, today’s match was a must win for Skibbe and his boys. A victory would guarantee them a place in the next round and (with a Benfica victory or tie in the next match) would assure them of first place. With Galatasaray doing so well against Olympiakos and Benfica in earlier weeks, many had confidence in the CimBom, and they didnt dissapoint this time.

HERTHA-G.SARAY 1-0

Stadium: Berlin Olimpiyat
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

HERTHA BERLİN: Drobny, Friedrich, Simunic, Stein, Chahed (min.46 Von Bergen), Dardai, Kacar, Rafael, Ebert (min. 72 Domochiyvski), Pantelic (min.65 Cicero)
Manager: Lucien Favre

GALATASARAY: De Santis, Sabri (min. 79 Emre Güngör), Meira, Servet, Hakan Balta, Arda (min. 90 Volkan), Mehmet Topal, Barış, Kewell, Lincoln, Baros (min. 85 Nonda)
Manager: Michael Skibbe

Yellow Cards: Chahed, Simunic, Voronin, Firedrich (Hertha), Lincoln (G.Saray)
Goal: Baros (min. 69)

The first half was dominated with a Galatasaray team determined to go and get the victory they wanted. Hertha Berlin played defensively, in their own home stadium mind you, and allowed the Turks to come forth and press for the goal. Hertha keeper Drobny saved a couple of shots from Baros and Lincoln who was the surprise captain for this match. It woul dmake sense for Lincoln to be appointed captain for the match, he would have loved to showed the Germans that he still is a great player and after tonight, I’m sure Schalke miss him very dearly.

Despite taking the foot off the gas on the second half and allowing Hertha some key positions, we got the goal after Kewell’s cross was cut down by a handball from a Hertha defender. Up steps up Baros and slides the ball into the opposite side. His fourth goal in the past two matches, 2/2 on penalties this week. While the final couple of minutes were hectic, Galatasaray truely deserved the victory against the Berliners tonight and have finished their UEFA Cup group stage with 9 points after three victories against Olympiakos (1-0), Benfica (0-2), and Hertha Berlin (0-1). Not bad.

Some things of note, both Arda and Sabri were taken off the pitch after injuries to them both. Hopefuly its not as bad as they looked as they came off. Shabani Nonda came on for a couple of minutes at the end, but he looked very out of place and out of touch. Don’t think he can stay with us much longer, and I don’t think we’ll make it through the season with only one scoring striker.

Throughout the group stages we’ve seen great performances from Lincoln who has proved yet again that big players are needed for the big stage. If Galatasaray really is aiming for the cup this year, then Lincoln has got to be the one who leads this team to victory.