There was no action for Kevin-Prince Boateng as his Hertha Berlin side pipped Borussia Monchengladbach 1-0 in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.
In the matchday nine fixture at Olympiastadion, Marco Richter's strike proved the separating factor as The Old Lady registered their fourth win of the season.
Victory has catapulted Pal Dardai's side to 10th on the league table, two spots ahead of the matchday opposition who have one point less.
Richter's goal came moments before half-time as he pounced on a floating ball with a bicycle kick which flew past goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
It was Boateng's second straight time being left on the bench, the streak coinciding with a recent brawl with coach Dardai.
After sealing a transfer to boyhood club Hertha for a return in June, the midfielder started his second spell on a strong note with a run of starting appearances.
Injury troubles, underwhelming performances and perhaps his recent altercation with the manager have, however, left him on the fringes in recent games.
In their matchday eight away win over Eintracht Frankfurt, the 34-year-old saw seven minutes of action as a substitute as The Old Lady clinched a 2-1 victory.
In all so far this term, the Germany-born has made six appearances in Bundesliga for Hertha, with whom he made his breakthrough as a professional player before leaving for Tottenham Hotspur in 2007.
He went on to play for Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth, AC Milan, Schalke 04, Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sassuolo, Barcelona, Fiorentina, Besiktas and recently Italian Serie B side Monza.
Elsewhere in Bundesliga on Saturday, Cameroon striker Eric Maxim Choupo Moting was on target to help Bayern Munich to a 4-0 triumph over Hoffenheim.
Seventeen minutes after coming on as a substitute, the 32-year-old put his name on the score sheet to ensure a comfortable win for his side.
It was the third goal of the Bundesliga campaign, having taken to the pitch on seven occasions.
Victory has helped the Bavarians maintain their place at the top of the table where they currently sit just one point above closest contenders Borussia Dortmund.