By Roberto Lamprecht and Paul Gorgas
Hertha is on the ground! 0:1 in the first relegation game against HSV – now a blue and white miracle is needed in the second leg on Monday. Otherwise there is a risk of relegation to the 2nd league!
With their heads bowed, the perplexed players leave the sold-out Olympic Stadium. First the three match balls awarded on the last three match days, now the next and perhaps decisive blow to the neck for the Berliners.
Felix Magath has a lot of work to do until Monday Photo: Reuters
Coach Felix Magath: “It was a hard-fought game that should have ended 0-0. We missed a player like Ascacibar. We won fewer duels than HSV. Hopefully we’ll play better on Monday and turn the game around.”
The end of the Bundesliga is near!
Hertha acts far too anxious, doesn’t play like a Bundesliga club, doesn’t counteract properly, is helpless and doesn’t have a single good chance to score. And only 6 shots on goal. Pathetic! Second division HSV is better. Sat.1 expert Stefan Kuntz is surprised: “I lack the emotions at Hertha, the unconditional actions forward.”
Yes, a bad Hertha end is approaching!
Next bad news: goalkeeper Marcel Lotka (20/broken nose and concussion) cannot play, Oliver Christensen (23) is celebrating his professional debut. Surprise also in attack – Luca Wollschläger (19/two short appearances) celebrates the premiere of the starting eleven.
HSV celebrates the opening goal in Berlin Photo: City Press
The Olympic Stadium is a cauldron.
A good 20,000 guest fans ensure a lot of fire, sing the whole time, want to turn the away game into a home game. Only partially succeeds, the Hertha supporters hold against it. Goosebumps – nothing to be seen on the field for a long time.
Excitement in the 34th minute: Glatzel shoots at Pekarik’s hand in the penalty area, but before that Rohr also gets the ball in his hand. The video referee and referee Osmers look at the scene – no penalty for HSV, free kick for Hertha.
Great atmosphere in the sold out Olympic Stadium Photo: City Press
First lucky – then very bad luck!
Mittelstädt cross, Belfodil header – the ball is in the net (45′). The video assistant is switched on again. No goal, Belfodil is two centimeters offside. Magath reacts, brings Jovetic in for the hapless Wollschläger in the second half, but does nothing either.
Referee Harm Osmers checks whether there should be penalties for HSV – but before that a player from the second division team had his arm on the ball Photo: Reuters
Instead, HSV Hertha hits the heart: A cross slips off Reis’ foot, gets longer and longer, lands on the inside post, then in the net – 1-0 for HSV (57) through a cross goal. The otherwise good Christensen can’t do anything.
After the final whistle, the Hertha players, with the exception of Niklas Stark, do not go to the ultra fans in the east stand. Are you afraid of renewed humiliation by supporters like against Union?
Hertha BSC
First lucky – then very bad luck!
Mittelstädt cross, Belfodil header – the ball is in the net (45′). The video assistant is switched on again. No goal, Belfodil is two centimeters offside. Magath reacts, brings Jovetic in for the hapless Wollschläger in the second half, but does nothing either.
For Niklas Stark it was Hertha’s last home game in seven years. He was the only player to turn to the fans Photo: Reuters
Instead, HSV Hertha hits the heart: A cross slips off Reis’ foot, gets longer and longer, lands on the inside post, then in the net – 1-0 for HSV (57) through a cross goal. The otherwise good Christensen can’t do anything.
After the final whistle, the Hertha players, with the exception of Niklas Stark, do not go to the ultra fans in the east stand. Are you afraid of renewed humiliation by supporters like against Union?
Hertha fans with a clear message to the team: “Never give up” Photo: AFP