READ THE MOST; U21 | Young Bluebirds to face Pontypridd United in Nathaniel MG Cup

The Bluebirds will face Pontypridd United in Round Two of the Nathaniel MG Cup.

The fixture will take place at Cardiff International Sports Campus on Friday, August 2nd, with a kick-off time of 7.30pm.

Darren Purse‘s side progressed in their first game of the cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Afan Lido, in which Trey George got on the scoresheet, along with a brace from Cody Twose.

The latter’s performance saw him named in the Nathaniel MG Cup Team of the Round.

Ticket details for this fixture will be announced in due course.

 

Cody Twose and Michael Reindorf

The man in the technical area for Hertha is the recently appointed Christian Fiél.

The former midfielder made over 300 appearances for German sides such as Union Berlin, VFL Bochum and Dynamo Dresden before turning to management.

Since then, he has managed at both Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Nurnberg, prior to being appointed at Hertha BSC.

Hertha BSC
Opposition focus | Last Season

Hertha played the 2023/24 season in the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years. A ninth place finish was a foundation for the Berlin side to build on as they hope to return to Germany’s top division in 2024/25.

Die Alte Dame also put together an impressive cup run, reaching the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal, before being beaten by eventual finalists FC Kaiserslauten 3-1.

Hertha BSC
Opposition focus | Summer business

The two-time Bundesliga champions have been adding to their squad to create what they hope to be a strong bid to return to Germany’s top league.

Five players have thus far joined Hertha’s ranks including 32-year-old experienced midfielder Diego Demme, who joins from Italian giants SSC Napoli on a free transfer. Born in Herford, Germany, Demme joined the Italian side in 2020, where he made 67 league appearances.

Michaël Cuisance (pictured) was signed by Hertha for an undisclosed fee from Serie A side Venezia, furthering their midfield options.

Kevin Sessa also joins the side from Bundesliga side FC Heidenheim after a successful season, in which he managed to secure his team European football for the first time in its history.

Forward Luca Schuler and goalkeeper Dennis Smarsch are also among the new recruits, joining on free deals from 1. FC Magdeburg and MSV Duisburg respectively.

Hertha BSC
Opposition focus | One to watch

Bosnian striker Haris Tabaković had an impressive goalscoring year after joining Hertha at the start of 2023/24, scoring 22 league goals.

Prior to his move to Germany, the attacker had previously impressed for the likes of Debrecen, Austria Lustenau and Austria Wien.

His form for the Berlin side saw him finish joint top of the golden boot rankings in the German second tier last season.

Tabaković also has experience at international level, having represented Switzerland at youth level, before switching to Bosnia and Herzegovina, who he has made two appearances for.

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