FIRST TEAM
12/19/2014

Markus Gisdol: "Hertha play differently"

Last stop Berlin: TSG end the first half of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season and 2014 in the Olympiastadion on Sunday (15:30 CET). On Friday Markus Gisdol faced the media ahead of the game against the team from the capital.

Markus Gisdol on…

… the opposition

Hertha have a good squad and a nice balance of young and experienced players. They have developed well under Jos Luhukay. They defend differently to most teams in the league. They do a lot of man marking and that can lead to a lot of one-on-one situations. It's a distinct style of play and it will have an influence on our starting line up. In order to be successful we need to come out on top in the challenges in order to drag defenders out of position and leave free men up top. Drawing 4-4 after being 4-2 in front against Frankfurt won't have been easy for the Hertha players – it will have felt like a defeat due to the circumstances. I watched them play against Dortmund on TV a few days ago and they played well for the entire game.

…personnel

We don't yet know whether Eugen Polanski will be fit. We'll make a decision on Saturday. He picked up a knock during the game, which has developed into something a bit more serious. If it hasn't improved by the morning, he'll be operated on, which means he will return later to training after the winter break. Apart from Niklas Süle, everyone else is available. A few players picked up knocks during the game against Leverkusen, but they will be fine for Sunday.

…the current situation

I hope that we put in another good performance in Berlin and are able to take something away from the game. However, our assessment on the first half of the season doesn't hinge on picking up a result on Sunday. We have picked up more points than we had at this stage last season and are a lot more stable.

The upcoming game:

The teams have previously met eight times in the Bundesliga. Hertha have a better head-to-head record, having won four games whereas TSG have only picked up two victories. Hoffenheim's last win against Hertha came in 2010 when Demba Ba and Vedad Ibisevic's goals secured a 2-0 victory in Berlin. Since then there have been two draws and two TSG defeats.

The opponents:

Ahead of the final game of the calendar year, Hertha lie in 13th place in the table with 18 points. 13 of these points have been picked up at home, including a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the last game to be held at the Olympiastadion. In midweek they conceded an injury time equaliser, which saw Frankfurt snatch a 4-4 draw, having been 4-2 down at one stage. The result will possibly still be in their minds.

The key dual:

Hertha's success isn't down to stunning individual play, but a great team ethic. Nine different players have contributed to their total of 24 goals. Hertha are dangerous in three key attacking areas: They are the third-best team from set pieces (10 goals scored), have scored the fourth-highest amount of headers (6) and are the best team when it comes to converting clear-cut chances (70%, which sees them ranked number one). What does this mean for TSG? Don't concede from unnecessary dead balls, consistently win the headers and keep Hertha as far away from goal as possibly. Aerial prowess could benefit TSG at the other end of the field too – Hertha have conceded 8 headed goals - the most in the league.

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