From BZ/dpa
Hertha breathes a sigh of relief! The Berliners win the important basement duel against Schalke 2:1. Striker Wilfried Kanga gave Hertha their first home win with his first goal of the season in the 88th minute.
What a cheer in the east curve. Due to the success, Hertha climbs to 13th place, Schalke falls to the last place in the table!
What a crazy game!
Goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow (30/on loan from Hertha until the end of the season) first makes a mistake and lets a central shot from Hertha’s Lucas Tousart slip through from 25 meters to make it 1-0 (49 minutes).
Schwolow (Hertha contract until 2025) fails the nerves of all things in front of Berlin’s east curve, which whistles him out before the kick-off.
After the goal, Hertha’s bench freaked out with joy. Assistant coaches Volkan Bulut and Vedad Ibisevic tear head coach Sandro Schwarz to the ground with jubilant jumps.
But the Berliners begin to tremble again. A throw-in from Ouwejan heads Schalke’s polter to Mollet. The French substitute joined Herthas Rogel, who deflected the ball into his own goal in the 85th minute to make it 1-1.
But Hertha strikes back again in front of 60,000 fans!
Ex-Schalke Kenny conquers the ball at the back, which is transported forward. A great Jovetic pass lands the ball in the path of striker Kanga, who bangs the thing in the 88th minute to make it 2-1.
What a salvation! For Hertha and also for Kanga, who scores his first goal for the new club!
Kanga sprints into the east stand, hanging over the ditch to celebrate with the supporters. Then he high fives with coach Schwarz.
He brings the scorer previously as one of two newcomers to the starting XI (Ejuke and Kanga for Richter and Sunjic) in the 4-2-3-1 system.
Tom Krauss of FC Schalke 04 and Suat Serdar of Hertha BSC during the match between Hertha BSC and Schalke 04 Photo: City Press GmbH
Schalke interim coach Matthias Kreutzer (replacing the fired Frank Kramer for the first time) brings five new players to the starting XI after the 5-1 defeat in Hoffenheim and relies on a chain of five at the back.
In the end, Schalke is now last and Hertha President Kay Bernstein sheds tears of joy in the honorary stand…