Goals from Salomon Kalou and Vedad Ibisevic ensured that Hertha Berlin continued their positive start to the Bundesliga season with a comfortable 3-0 victory over visitors Hamburger SV this afternoon.
It took a while for things to get moving in the first half, but Berlin found themselves in front with their first major chance when Kalou drilled home a memorable effort from distance into the bottom-left corner.
The hosts could have grabbed a two-goal lead just a few moments later, only for Fabian Lustenberger to see his speculative flash from range kept out by Jaroslav Drobny at the keeper's top corner.
Hamburger sought to grab an equaliser with their first positive move inside the final third, although Aaron Hunt could not find a way past a sprawling Rune Jarstein in the Berlin net.
Hertha came out the stronger of the two sides in the second period, and they should have gone 2-0 in front when Tolga Cigerci found space before firing straight at Drobny.
The miss was not to matter too much, though, as Ibisevic sealed the three points with a quick-fire brace in the final 15 minutes to help continue Berlin's strong start to the new season.
Christopher Dodd
