Hertha BSC missed the top spot in the second Bundesliga. Hosts 1. FC Nürnberg turned the game around in the second half on Sunday (October 22nd, 2023) to win 3-1 (0-1). Smail Prevljak (15th) gave Hertha the lead.
For the hosts, goals from Jens Castrop (57th), Toni Leistner (72nd/own goal) and Daichi Hayashi (84th) turned the game around, in which there were red cards for Hertha’s Marc Oliver Kempf (68th) and Nuremberg’s Ivan Marcquez (74.) gave.
Hertha coach Pal Dardai was correspondingly disappointed: “If eight players on the pitch are out of shape, we have to take a closer look at it. After the 1-0 win we were paralyzed, I can’t explain that at the moment.”
Hertha started well and took the lead
In the 50th duel between the two traditional clubs, the Berliners made the first statement. Smail Prevljak scored with the first shot on Nuremberg’s goal in the 15th minute – Deyovaisio Zeefuik had previously broken through on the right side and placed the ball well in the middle. Jan Gyamerah’s attempt to clear the ball fell to Prevljak, who finished from close range.
The great chance to equalize came in the 37th minute when Can Uzun entered the Berlin penalty area and Toni Leistner only knew how to make do with a foul. When the penalty was due, Uzun wanted to take it too casually and was denied by Tjark Ernst in the Hertha goal.
Equalizer by Nuremberg’s Castrop
But Nuremberg stayed on the trigger, Berlin made the mistake of limiting themselves almost exclusively to the defensive. This was punished in the 57th minute: After a poorly cleared corner, Jens Castrop shot from the edge of the penalty area and surprised Ernst, who was also irritated by Florian Flick – the 1-1, which was well deserved at the time.
Things got even worse for Hertha. In the 67th minute, central defender Marc-Oliver Kempf was sent off, five minutes later Leistner slid the ball over his own goal line after a not too dangerous cross from Benjamin Goller – the game was turned.
Mathenia puts Marquez in trouble
But the clubbers immediately put themselves in trouble again. A completely unsuccessful pass from Nuremberg keeper Christian Mathenia in the direction of Iván Márquez landed at Hertha’s Marten Winkler, who Márquez then rudely knocked down. Referee Florian Exner interpreted this as an emergency brake and showed the club defender red (74th).
However, the guests were no longer able to capitalize on this. A deflected shot from Nathaniel Brown in the 82nd minute hit the right post, Daichi Hayashi moved faster than the Hertha defense and pushed the ball over the line to make it 3-1.
“We were in it well, had a lot of control, but are behind by a goal, which I can’t really explain,” said Nuremberg coach Christian Fiel. The bottom line was that we ended up with three points: “Next week we’ll continue against Kiel, where we’ll try to get points away again.”
Hertha welcomes Paderborn, Nuremberg in Kiel
The Old Lady will host SC Paderborn next matchday (Saturday, October 28th, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.). Nuremberg is challenged in Kiel the following day (1.30 p.m.)