Galatasaray will be heading to Berlin looking to do what they failed to manage last week at home to Metalist Kharkiv.
The Turkish giants, coached by German Michael Skibbe, still need a point to guarantee their place in the last 32 after following up victories in their opening two games with a 1-0 loss to the Ukrainians.
But midfielder Lincoln warned the 2000 UEFA Cup winners cannot afford to sit back and play for a draw.
"Hertha are strong. We have to be wide awake and not just concentrate on defending,'' the former Schalke man said in Kicker.
Galatasaray needs a point to advance to the round of 32 when the two sides meet Wednesday in the UEFA Cup.
Galatasaray will feel at home in Berlin's Olympic stadium, with tens of thousands of tickets going to Turks living in Germany.
Skibbe will be without a host of players, including Hasan Sas, Serkan Calik, Ugur Ucar and Tobias Linderoth.
Ayhan Akman is also suspended for the match.
Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic insists he is not bothered if he is again asked the play the role of super-sub in tomorrow's UEFA Cup clash at home to Galatasaray.
The Serbia international came off the bench to net a late winner against Cologne last Friday as Lucien Favre's men strengthened their surprise bid for the Bundesliga title.
Pantelic had been reportedly unhappy with his treatment by Favre, who has left him out of the starting line-up for the last three games, but the pair now appear to have put aside any differences.
Asked if he was worrying about whether he would get to start or have to make do with a place on the bench again against the Turks, the 30-year-old told the Berliner Kurier: "It is totally unimportant. This is a final for us. We can only win it as a team - and we are a team.
"There is a really good atmosphere in the dressing room. Everyone can work with everyone. Old and young players have to grow together. That is the reason why we are so successful on the pitch at the moment.''
The capital club are indeed enjoying a fine run, having won their last four games in the league to climb to third.
They have, though, yet to win in UEFA Cup Group B, with two draws from their opening two games.
Pantelic has scored their only goal in the competition so far, again coming off the bench to grab the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Benfica, and victory tomorrow looks a necessity if they are to make the knockout stages.
Hertha lie second bottom of the group and have a tough-looking trip to Greece to face Olympiacos - 5-1 winners over Benfica in their last game - to come in the final match.
Whether Pantelic starts is likely to depend on the fitness of fellow frontman Andriy Voronin, who is battling a bout of flu.
The on-loan Liverpool forward said: "I feel quite weak and because of the doping regulations was not allowed to take any medication. But I will battle through.''
Midfielder Maximilian Nicu is definitely out because of a gastro-intestinal infection.
No comments:
Post a Comment