A step in the right direction
The first match following the winter break will be all about putting Matchday 17's defeat to VfL Bochum behind them for the Hannover 96 players. Victory over Hertha BSC would not only bring sweet revenge for the 0-1 defeat in the capital, but would also give the hosts a more comfortable cushion above the drop zone. 96 coach Andreas Bergmann emphasised how Hannover "can take a step in the right direction with a win." Indeed, three points on Saturday would see his side open up a 14-point gap between themselves and their guests in the table. Still, the Reds would be foolish to underestimate the 'Old Lady' of German football, especially following the major investments Hertha have made so far in the winter transfer window. "If they didn't believe they were going to survive, they wouldn't have brought to many players in," warned Bergmann. The 96 boss announced his team were "well prepared" for the match and that they "know exactly what's at stake." The Hannover supremo also believes that the fact that his troops spent their winter training camp locally will play to their advantage what with the icey temperatures expected at the AWD Arena on Saturday: "I think it's a good thing that we stayed here and got used to the cold."

"Rosi" has recovered from his muscle tear

Injury woes continue
It seems unfair that Hannover 96's injury list has followed them into the new decade. As well as long term absentees Forssell, Lala, Vinicius, Kryznowek and Zizzo, Andreas Bergmann will also be without midfield dynamo Hanno Balitsch, who is suspended after amassing five yellow cards. Dane Leon Andreasen is also unavailable after cruelley straining his thigh in the final winter friendly match against Arminia Bielefeld following eight months out injured. Christian Schulz should replace him, while new signing Jan Durica looks set to join Mario Eggimann in central defence. Regular centre-back Karim Haggui is away on international duty at the African Nations Cup but fit-again Jan Rosenthal returns as an option in midfield.

Now or never for Hertha
The Bundesliga's bottom side remain marooned on just six points following a disastrous first half to the season - a terrible record matches only by fellow Berlin outfit SC Tasmania 1900 back in 1965/66. Even a managerial change from Lucien Favre to Friedhelm Funkel after Matchday 7 has failed to improve the club's situation. Funkel's form so far has been anything but convincing - just three points in ten games tell their own miserable story, as do a shocking six goals scored. The gap between themselves and safety is currently ten points, forcing the capital club into action as soon as the January transfer window opened its shutters. Theofanis Gekas (loaned from Bayer Leverkusen), Levan Kobiashvili (from Schalke 04) and Roman Hubnik (loaned from FC Moscow) have all been brought in to help stable the ship, and they will all be thrown in at the deep end in the first of 17 'finals' for the club throughout the rest of the season. In short, Hertha have to play for the win at the AWD Arena on Saturday if they are to stand any chance of bolstering their confidence in the relegation dogfight.


Hoping for victory - Arnold Bruggink

"Fans can give you wings"
As part of the Hertha board's initiative to help their team stave off the drop, away tickets for Saturday's match have been subsidised to encourage a bumper travelling crowd at the AWD Arena. The 96 boys can look forward to 4,000 cheering Hertha fans, though the home support will be doing their utmost to drown out the away following with some boisterous chants of their own. "We need the support of the fans," said Andi Bergmann. "Fans can give you wings." A repeat of last season's 2-0 home victory over Hertha would be ideal for Hannover, though the 5-0 thumping of the capital side in 2007's corresponding fixture would not go amiss either!

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Facts, facts, facts:

• Hannover 96 have not lost any of their previous four home ties against Hertha BSC. The Reds have also scored at least two goals in each encounter.

• Only Tasmania 1900 managed to win fewer points than Hertha's current haul in the entire history of the Bundesliga - the Berlin outfit picked up just 4 points before the winter break back in 1965/66. Hertha are currently the worst team in any of Europe's top five leagues.

• Hannover and Hertha are the two Bundesliga sides who have not won for the longest amount of time. The Reds are six without success, while Hertha's last victory came way back on Matchday 1. Unfortunately that win was against Hannover!

• Despite some excellent performances, 96 have failed to win since the death of Robert Enke - recording a draw and four defeats since the tragic event took place.

Probable line ups:

Hannover 96: Fromlowitz - Cherundolo, Eggimann, Durica (Schulz), Rausch – Schulz (Rosenthal) - Pinto, Bruggink, Djakpa (Rama) – Ya Konan, Schlaudraf

Hertha BSC Berlin: Drobny – Piszcek, A. Friedrich, Hubnik, Kobiashvili – Lustenberger, Kringe, Cicero, Raffael – Ramos, Gekas