Hertha Berlin will be hoping to prove that they can still compete against Bundesliga opponents when they host Mainz 05 in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.
The visitors are winless in Germany's top flight so far this season, so they may view the domestic cup as a welcome reprieve from their poor league form.
Match preview
© Reuters
Hertha Berlin, meanwhile, have not adapted to life in the second tier as quickly as they would have liked, with five wins and six defeats seeing them sit in a mid-table position after 11 matches.
Die Alte Dame's 10-year stay in the Bundesliga came to an end when they finished rock-bottom last season, having had to fight against relegation for the entirety of the previous two campaigns. Pal Dardai was brought in for his third spell in charge of the club in April, but the former Hungary midfielder was powerless to prevent their fate.
The 47-year-old is a legendary figure at Hertha having made 297 league appearances for them as a player between 1997 and 2011, but his status at the club is being tested by their below-par start in Bundesliga 2, as they look to bounce back at the first time of asking for the third successive time at that level.
In terms of the DFB-Pokal, Dardai and his players may view it as an unwelcome distraction from their solitary target of gaining promotion, but Hertha's fans will crave a cup run given that it is a trophy which the club has never won, despite finishing as runners-up on three occasions.
© Reuters
Likewise, Mainz have never tasted ultimate victory in Germany's domestic cup, with their best effort coming in the 2008-09 season when they lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals.
Bo Svensson is unlikely to care too much regarding the prospect of a cup run this season, with Die Nullfunfer seeing their winless start in the Bundesliga extend to nine matches when they drew 2-2 away to VfL Bochum on Friday night. Things could have been much worse had it not been for Tom Krauss snatching a point in the sixth minute of injury time.
Indeed, that goal meant that Bochum - who currently occupy the relegation playoff spot - remain only two points clear of Mainz, while newly-promoted SV Darmstadt 98 and Heidenheim both lost, meaning that Svensson's side are only four points behind those two potential relegation rivals.
As such, it is far too early in the campaign for Svensson and his players to be panicking yet, especially having already saved themselves from relegation under Svensson before when the Dane made an excellent impact following his appointment in January 2021. A strong performance and result in the capital on Wednesday could be exactly what they require to kick-start their season.
Team News
© Reuters
Hertha will be without Marc-Oliver Kempf and Toni Leistner due to suspension after their recent red cards, but Marius Gersbeck will be available for selection as his own ban only applies to league matches.
Jeremy Dudziak, Linus Gechter, Palko Dardai, Ibrahim Maza and Agustin Rogel are all sidelined due to injury, but Pal Dardai is still likely to make several changes from the side which dispatched SC Paderborn at the weekend.
Mainz will travel without Nelson Weiper and Andreas Hanche-Olsen due to long-term knee and ankle injuries respectively, while Philipp Mwene and Jonathan Burkardt are unlikely to be risked given their own knee issues.
Svensson may hand Krauss a starting berth after the former Schalke 04 midfielder made a positive impact by scoring a crucial goal against Bochum, while club captain Silvan Widmer appears set to make his comeback from several weeks out with an injury.
Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Gersbeck; Pekarik, Klemens, M Dardai, Lucoqui; Hussein, Bouchalakis; Nonsa, Niederlechner, Maolida; Scherhant
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Batz; Fernandes, Bell, Schulz; Widmer, Guilvaogui, Krauss, Barkok, Richter; Lee, Ajorque
We say: Hertha Berlin 2-1 Mainz 05
Mainz have began the season in disastrous form, collecting only three points from nine matches to sit bottom of the Bundesliga, while Hertha would have expected to be higher than mid-table after 11 games in the second tier.
As such, neither team are likely to play with much confidence on Wednesday, with their destiny in their respective leagues considered to be a higher priority than the DFB-Pokal. However, we expect Hertha to relish the challenge of facing a side competing above them and secure a narrow win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
