By Roberto Lamprecht
First bankruptcy in the third test for second division Hertha BSC!
Only 19 hours after the 2-0 win at fourth division BFC Dynamo, the Berliners lost 4-2 at Swiss champions Young Boys Bern!
Early on Saturday morning, the Hertha professionals boarded the charter plane towards Switzerland at 8 a.m., where the kick-off took place at 4 p.m. in front of 2,300 fans in the small Tissot Arena in Biel. Just a few hours after the final whistle, Hertha flies back to Berlin.
Hertha Filip Uremovic clears with a header Photo: City Press
The costs of the entire day trip are covered by the Bernese, where ex-Hertha professional Steve von Bergen (40) works as sports director and Fabian Lustenberger (35) plays as captain. The Swiss were looking for a powerful opponent.
Hertha’s right-back Jonjoe Kenny seemed to be the hardest to cope with. Berns Lakomy netted his far too short back pass to goalkeeper Tjark Ernst to make it 1-0 (5th minute) for the hosts.
Bitter: Just three minutes later, Kenny had the same mishap again – goalkeeper Ernst had to risk life and limb and injured his right foot in a crash with a Swiss player.
In the 23rd minute it didn’t work anymore – Alexander Schwolow had to go in the box for the injured Ernst. The big earner Schwolow (1.5 million/year) is actually supposed to leave Hertha, but only moved into the team on the day of the match because Oliver Christensen surprisingly canceled.
Hertha’s Florian Niederlechner in a duel with Bern’s Miguel Chaiwa Photo: City Press
Only five minutes later the doorbell rang. Monteiro converted a high cross to make it 2-0 (28th) – again Kenny was involved, who came a step too late. Used day for the Englishman…
Then in the 50th minute it was 3:0! Monteiro nibbled – of course – Kenny and Lakomy only had to push in.
But Hertha scored the most beautiful goal of the day. The young Bence Dardai (17) took heart after a nice dribbling and slammed the ball into the top right corner (71st).
Shortly thereafter, Wilfried Kanga fell in the penalty area after a great pass from Bence Dardai – questionable penalty. The Ivorian snatched the ball himself and cut the ball against his former club (from whom he joined Hertha for €5m in the summer of 2022). Only 3: 2 (80th) for Bern.
Dema then made it 4-2 (87′).
How Hertha played: Ernst (23rd Schwolow) – Kenny (60th Zeefuik), Uremovic (60th Gechter), Kempf (60th Kiala), Dudziak (46th Strasner) – Stange (60th Kesik), M. Dardai (Klemens) – Winkler (46th Scherhant), Richter (60th B. Dardai), Reese (60th G. Christensen) – Niederlechner (60th Kanga).