GOAL
Zafer Evren

DEFENSE
Rino Binder
Denis Mecklenburg
Philipp Rode
Steffen Schacher

MIDFIELD
Matthias Bertl
Jens Hofmann
Andre Koehlmann
Kerim Wewer

STRIKERS
Michael Klemm
Sasha Maric

SUBS
Michel Herrmann
Florian Schmidt
Markus Dolenga
Rene Schieber

 If there ever was a match a GAS side didn't just play for the three points but also for honor, this was it. On the very same pitch we were beaten by the very same Hibs side in a humiliating manner late in the preceding season. With coach Joerg being back on duty the team was configured 4-4-2 with two lightning fast wingers and with Madse and veteran guest Kerim as playmakers in midfield. Putting the Hibs under constant and massive pressure from the very start was the name of the game.

Yet, and whoever read the recent match reports knows that I am sounding a bit like a broken CD, the Germans found it hard to get into the game. After barely 60 seconds Zafar had to produce an outstanding save to deny the Hibs an early goal. With the large PSA pitch giving some extra space to the wingers the Germans subsequently managed to grind out some opportunities, mostly on the counter, with Micha missing the Hibs' goal by a whisker after 16 minutes. The Germans now had more confidence and started to take complete control of the match. With 21 minutes played, a header from Sascha almost found the back of the net after a beautiful Kerim cross. 60 seconds later Sascha forced John, the Hibs goalie, into a massive save. Micha hit the inside of the left post on the rebound and Madse duly converted. Unfortunately the nice effort was ruled offside, but the GAS team kept exercising relentless pressure. After 27 minutes the next opportunity saw Sascha clear on goal but his shot went just inches over the crossbar. With half an hour gone the question seemed to be "when" the Germans would score rather than "whether" they would score.

But football happens to be a hardly predictable game and thus, totally against the run of play, the definitive opportunity to score fell to the Hibs after 41 minutes. A handball was given inside the German box, perhaps a harsh call, but Zafar managed to save the subsequent penalty in style. Given that this was yet another penalty miss for a British team against a German side, one was left tempted to at least think that certain things in football are, perhaps, quite predictable ... or are they? After a nice individual effort over the right wing a Hibs striker was brought down in the box. Again: Penalty! This time another Hibs player made absolutely no mistake and send Zafar into the wrong corner. 0-1 it was at halftime, leaving the German camp flabbergasted.

Surely, with more or less a dozen clear scoring opportunities created in the first half, spirits were still high in the German team to turn this around. And thus the GAS again took control of the game in the second half. Micha's freekick after 52 minutes missed the goal by inches and nice individual efforts by Jens and Madse shortly thereafter were both saved well by John, who had an outstanding day. Attack after attack was now orchestrated against the Hibs goal with Micha being again denied by John in a one-on-one situation after 70 minutes. Fresh legs came on and a nice diagonal cross from Florian found Andre on the left wing who expertly curled the ball into the run of Markus who hammered it wide, though. Desperation now took control of the German game as ball after ball was kicked into the Hibs box. But their defense ruled supremely and did not allow the Germans to score.  After 90 minutes the scoreline continued to read: GAS 0, Hibs 1.

While combative spirit and stamina were both visible in today's GAS performance, the lack of firepower upfront is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

Congratulations to the Hibs for a hard fought win and a well organised performance in defense.

Florian Schmidt