96 needs to find combative spirit

As the Berliners visit AWD-Arena, the dark shadow of relegation looms over 96. Out-of-the question at the start of the year after a myriad of injuries has crippled Hecking's-team and they are now only three points above Mönchengladbach.

Following last weeks demoralizing 4-1 in Bremen with the hosts scoring three times in the final thirteen minutes, 96 needs to find the winning form or the situation could go from bad to worse in a hurry.

Whether 96 must begin the long process of rebuilding or simply accept the losses are purely due to injury is point for another time because the threat of relegation has crept too close and the alarms have now sound. Since 96 has lost every match away from home this year, the route to safety starts with maximal points in their remaining home matches. The staple of 96's diet has been success at home where they haven't lost since the start of the Rückrunde.

Standing in-line to ruin Easter dinner is Hertha Berlin who after consecutive losses to Dortmund and Stuttgart are in no mood to be nice guests. There own championship visions are slipping away as have stumbled out of first and channeled Hoffenheim's fall from grace.

The opening match at Olympiastadion this year saw the Berliners pound 96 into submission with late goals similar the recent Bremen encounter. 96 will once again be weighed down with the loss of Jan Schlaudraff, Chavdar Yankov, Frank Fahrenhorst, Steven Cherundolo, Vinícius and Valérien Ismaël and needs to find a combative spirit immediately.