Two goals from Vedad Ibisevic have given Hertha Berlin a 2-0 win over FC Koln in the Bundesliga this evening.
The game's first chance fell to Koln, as midfielder Matthias Lehmann produced a shot from outside the penalty area, but his effort went harmlessly wide.
Hertha missed a couple of opportunities to take the lead soon after as Genki Haraguchi and Vladimir Darida had efforts blocked, before both Kevin Vogt and Leonardo Bittencourt tested Berlin keeper Rune Jarstein with close-range efforts.
Salomon Kalou and Pawel Olkowski both missed the target for the visitors, before Bittencourt hit the post with a strike from outside the box.
Hertha took the lead against the run of play on 43 minutes, after Marvin Plattenhardt found Ibisevic with a cross, and the Bosnian striker headed past Timo Horn in the Koln net.
After the break Hertha looked determined to add to their lead, as Kalou saw a decent effort blocked, before Ibisevic forced a save from Horn.
Koln responded as former Blackburn Rovers striker Anthony Modeste headed wide from a Marcel Risse cross, before Bittencourt saw another effort blocked.
The match opened up as the second half went on, as Kalou and Valentin Stocker both missed the target for Hertha, before Harahuchi forced another save from Horn.
Yannick Gerhardt came close to finding an equaliser when his strike from distance was saved by Jarstein, before Darida and Ibisevic missed opportunities to put the hosts further ahead.
The hosts wrapped up the three points in the fourth minute of added time, as Alexander Baumjohann found Ibisevic outside the area, who finished past Horn to score his second goal of the night.
Stephen Topping
