Hertha Berlin has confirmed the official starting lineup for the away match at 1. FC Saarbrücken. The club announced the team on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Head coach Michael Skibbe has opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Marius Gersbeck starts in goal. The back four consists of Jonjoe Kenny, Linus Gechter, Toni Leistner and Filip Uremović. The defensive midfield duo is Marton Dárdai and Fabian Reese. Derry Scherhant and Haris Tabaković take the wide attacking positions, with Palkó Dárdai in the number ten role. Captain Florian Niederlechner leads the line up front.
The chosen formation marks an adjustment from the last match. Skibbe is moving away from a traditional holding midfielder, instead trusting the double pivot of Dárdai and Reese in front of the defense. This is intended to enable better ball circulation and more pressure . Palkó Dárdai is given central creative responsibility as the attacking midfielder. The team will be without injured key player Dodi Lukébakio in Saarbrücken, forcing a reshuffle in attack.
Hertha BSC currently sits in 5th place in the 2. Bundesliga table. The team has collected seven points from the first three matchdays. Recent results include a 2-2 draw against FC St. Pauli and a 3-1 win over SV Elversberg. A full overview of all results and upcoming matches is available on our fixtures page.
The away record this season has been mixed so far. The only away game ended in the draw at St. Pauli. 1. FC Saarbrücken, meanwhile, is newly promoted and still without a win, sitting in 17th place with just one point. A look at the current standings shows the gap between the teams. For Hertha, this is a must-win game to keep pace with the promotion places.
The injury situation remains tight. Alongside Lukébakio, midfielder Suat Serdar is also missing after suffering a muscle injury in training. "We have to find solutions with the available players," Skibbe said. Exact return dates are still unclear, and current information can be found on our injuries list.
The next few weeks will be decisive for Hertha Berlin's ambitions. After the match in Saarbrücken, games against direct rivals for promotion follow immediately. Consistent performances from the full squad depth are required. Data on our stats page shows that goalscoring has improved in recent games, but conceding goals remains an issue.
The focus is now fully on preparation for Saarbrücken. With the confirmed lineup, coach Skibbe has shown his tactical hand. The task is to translate the theoretical strengths of the formation onto the pitch and secure the first three points in an away game this season. The team travels to Saarbrücken on Friday to adapt to the conditions at the Ludwigsparkstadion.
