Although our German opposition won’t be best pleased to see a certain Max Meyer lining up in the red and blue stripes of south London, given our playmaker’s own personal record against the Die Alte Dame.
In 10 Bundesliga games against Hertha Berlin for Schalke 04, Meyer has only suffered defeat twice and that includes seven victories, so our creative spark is well-placed in offering insight into our final opponents before the Premier League returns.
Speaking on the club’s pre-season tour out in Switzerland, Max said: “Hertha have a good team, even though I think we always beat them at home! But I know they now have a new manager this summer, so it will be interesting to see how they play against us at Selhurst Park.”
The 24-year-old offered insight into a couple of Hertha’s key players, too:
“They have a striker called Davie Selke and I know him well having played with him for almost every youth team at international level – we won the U21s European Cup two years ago together.
“Also their centre-back Niklas Stark was part of that squad, too; I know a lot of players there.”
When looking at what sort of threat the side that finished 11th in the Bundesliga last season can pose to Palace, Meyer was quick to point out the differences between the top-flight in Germany and England:
“I think we have more quality but you cannot compare these leagues. I played many years in Germany, however, the Premier League is much better.
“The Premier League is very tough and athletic. It’s very quick. I like this kind of football – because I like to play forward. In this league, you need to play every ball forward – that’s the style of the league. The fans like it. I like the league – it’s definitely quicker than the Bundesliga.”
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