Hertha Berlin look to Dardai for inspiration on Euro return
July 27, 2016
The third qualifying round fixture against the 10-time Danish champions is Hertha’s first in continental competition since the 2009/10 season, when they played Thursday’s opponents in the play off stage of the competition before succumbing to Benfica in the round of 32.
After losing the first leg in Denmark seven years ago, Hertha won 3-1 in Berlin, with Pal Dardai, now BSC’s head coach, scoring the crucial second goal ten minutes from time.
Dardai, who holds the club record for most league appearances, remembers that game fondly, but his focus is on the present and the future, rather than the past.
"This is very important for us,” he said ahead of the game. "When you turn on the TV, you can watch Hertha again."
"For our development, there is nothing better than these knockout games.”
Although Hertha will be at home for the first leg of the tie, they will still be in somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, with the game to be played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, rather than the more spacious surroundings of the Olympic Stadium, where they normally play.
Despite the fixture falling a month before the start of the Bundesliga season, the 18,454 available tickets quickly sold out, with fans eager to see if the club can continue their upward trajectory after a seventh placed finish last season.
Even though they endured a poor second half of the campaign, most would agree that Hertha overachieved last season, which is why they start their campaign in July. Despite the awkward scheduling, Dardai says he’ll pick his best eleven for the match, meaning John Brooks and Peter Pekarik, who featured for the USA and Slovakia respectively in summer tournaments, are likely to feature.
Captain Fabian Lustenberger has recovered from a stomach injury in time to play and new signing Ondrej Duda could be in line for a debut.
Brondby, managed by former Stuttgart boss Alexander Zorniger, overcame Icelandic side Valur Reykjavik and Scottish outfit Hibernian to reach this stage and have former Hertha midfielder Hany Mukhtar - on loan from Benfica – in their ranks.
The winner of the tie will enter a two-legged play off scheduled for August 18 and 25 and the winner of that will enter the group stage of the competition.