Our next opponents: Why Hertha’s league position is deceptive

Position

The season so far has been a double-edged sword for Hertha Berlin. On the one hand, the team from the capital have produced good displays in a lot of matches and were close to getting results against the top teams from Munich and Leipzig. On the other hand, the results do not reflect the high quality of the team. A good example: the 5-2 defeat against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend. Hertha again had a really impressive first half against one of the top sides in the league and were ahead but then conceded five goals after the break. "We're robbing ourselves," was the analysis of coach Bruno Labbadia. "It's rubbish." The former Werkself coach – in the 2008/09 season – with his team are thirteenth in the table with seven points. Not a position the club would like to see themselves at the end of the campaign. However, this negative situation is slightly deceptive: Hertha have had an incredibly tough run of fixtures for starters. In the first eight games, the Berliners did not play a single team lower than eleventh in the table. It is possible the dark clouds will soon depart from over the capital.

Personnel

Thanks to a number of summer transfers and loans, Hertha Berlin have great strength in depth in their squad that almost has two players of top quality in every position. The past few days have seen the options increase for coach Labbadia. There are high hopes in Berlin for the return of Jordan Torunarigha. The central defender should soon be able to stabilise the not always secure defence after he suffered an ankle injury two months ago and then contracted coronavirus. The homegrown player is now back in full training and no longer has any problems according to Labbadia. However, a start against the Werkself is doubtful. "The fourteen days of self isolation have had a massive effect following his injury," said Labbadia on Tuesday. But he could be included in the squad.

And the midfielder Lucas Tousart, one of the biggest transfers for the Berliners in the summer, is another option for Labbadia. The Frenchman has struggled with a knee injury over the past few weeks. Tousart, previously an automatic first choice, was in the squad against Dortmund but did not play. He should at least be a serious contender as a substitute on Sunday. Definitely ruled out are midfield enforcer Santiago Ascacibar, who is struggling with muscle problems, plus striker Jhon Cordoba, who suffered an ankle injury in the away win at Augsburg and will probably be on the sidelines to the end of the year. The Colombian will be replaced up front by the Pole Krzysztof Piatek.

Performers

Even without Cordoba, the Hertha Berlin attack has huge quality – and one player stands out: Matheus Cunha. The 21-year-old Brazilian has quickly developed into the lynch pin of the Berlin attack after his move from Leipzig last January. Whether it's up top, as a number 10 or, as recently, on the left wing: Cunha is impressive with his dribbling at pace, his lightning-quick passes and his brilliant technique. And: He always provides a goal threat. In the last three Bundesliga matches he has been involved in five goals and has always found the target. The Brazilian has scored six goals in eight games in the current Bundesliga season – an outstanding return for a player who is not normally in the centre of attack. In the pacey dribbler Dodi Lukebakio and the impressive central striker Piatek, Cunha has excellent support after the loss of Cordoba.

Problems

Never before in the history of the Bundesliga has a team scoring 15 goals in the first eight matches only picked up seven points. Hertha's problems primarily lie in playing against the ball. Labbadia's team have conceded 18 goals with only Freiburg (19), Mainz (21) and Schalke (24) letting in more to date. 46% of challenges won is the second lowest number in the Bundesliga and, on top of that, the Berliners have committed the fourth highest number of fouls. The return of the ball-winning Torunarigha could help.

Prediction

The next three games will be tough for Hertha Berlin with the match against the Werkself, the city clash with surprise package Union and the away fixture at Borussia Mönchengladbach. But then the match schedule for the Berliners will be considerably more palatable in the rest of the first half of the season with games against teams from the lower reaches of the table. Hertha could very well make up ground. The quality of the team is definitely good enough to have a say in the allocation of the European qualifying positions at the end of the season.