Supersub Vedad Ibisevic powers Hertha Berlin past Cologne
Javairo Dilrosun followed up his stunning individual goal last week with another belter on Matchday 6, while Vedad Ibisevic came off the bench to help seal Hertha Berlin's 4-0 victory over Cologne on Sunday.
Cologne 0-4 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Dilrosun (23'), 0-2 Ibisevic (59'), 0-3 Ibisevic (63'), 0-4 Boyata (83')
Red card: Mere (41')
The result also set a new Bundesliga record as eight of the weekend's nine fixtures ended in an away win for the first time ever. Such an outcome was not immediately apparent at kick-off, though, as Cologne began brightly with Jhon Cordoba testing Rune Jarstein in the opening exchanges. That early promise soon faded, however, when Dilrosun put Hertha in front with a sublime strike, lashing the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. The 21-year-old Dutch attacker very nearly doubled his and his team's tally shortly afterwards, but his delicately lofted effort over Timo Horn came back off the bar. Momentum swung even further in the visitors' favour as half-time approached when Cologne defender Jorge Mere was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Vladimir Darida.
The Billy Goats looked to battle their way back into the game after the interval, but a half-chance that Anthony Modeste fired wide was as close as they would come. The match was effectively killed off as a contest when Ibisevic came off the bench around the hour mark and drilled a low shot into the net with his first touch. The veteran striker put the result beyond all doubt moments later, losing his marker at the near post to flick in Darida's cross. Simon Terodde very nearly gave the hosts an unlikely lifeline in the closing stages, but his long-range effort hit the crossbar. A miserable evening for Cologne was compounded moments later when Dedryck Boyata thumped in a header from a corner to lift Hertha to 10th in the table
Match stats
- Dilrosun has now scored four Bundesliga goals, all of which have fallen in the month of September: two in 2018, two this year.
- The Dutchman has also had a hand in four of Hertha's last seven goals (two goals, two assists).
- Ibisevic scored with his first touch of the ball, just 48 seconds after coming off the bench.
- The veteran forward netted his second goal with just his third touch, meaning he now has 12 goals in 15 outings against the Billy Goats.
- For just the seventh time in Bundesliga history, no home team won on a single matchday.
- Hertha have picked up nine Bundesliga away wins in Cologne, more than against any other side. Seven of those wins have come in their last nine visits.
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Line-ups
Cologne: Horn - Schmitz, Bornauw, Mere, Hector (c) - Kainz, Skhiri, Höger, Drexler (Schindler 6') - Cordoba, Modeste (Terodde 63')
Unused subs: Kessler, Sobiech, Risse, Schaub, Koziello, Bader, Hauptmann
Out: Clemens (cruciate ligament), Ehizibue (suspended), Verstraete (knee)
Coach: Achim Beierlorzer
Hertha: Jarstein - Klünter, Stark, Boyata, Mittelstädt - Wolf, Grujic, Skjelbred (Löwen 82'), Dilrosun (Lukebakio 73') - Darid - Selke (Ibisevic 53')
Unused subs: Kraft, Pekarik, Kalou, Esswein, Duda, Leckie
Out: Maier (knee), Pekarik (calf)
Coach: Ante Covic
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