Berlin lives! Hertha BSC celebrated a very important big point in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga.
In the intense, but for a long time not very spectacular basement duel against FC Augsburg, the Berliners won a 2-0 (0-0) victory on Saturday. With 20 points, the suffering Hertha jumped from the penultimate place in the table out of the immediate danger zone.
Ex-Augsburg Marco Richter (61st) and substitute Dodi Lukebakio (69th) shot Hertha to their second success in the past three games in the Berlin snow flurry.
The FCA, who still cannot win away from home in 2023 and instead lost four times on a different place, now only has a four-point lead over the Berliners and has to look down in the race to stay up in the league.
In the wet and cold Olympic Stadium, Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz actually wanted to trust the starting eleven from the quite decent 1: 4 at Borussia Dortmund in his 100th Bundesliga game as coach, but nothing came of it.
Defender Marton Dardai had to pass at short notice. Agustin Rogel slipped into the back three for him. Meanwhile, winter access Florian Niederlechner was allowed to play against his former club. And the striker immediately took center stage.
Hertha BSC is passionate
After Augsburg’s Niklas Dorsch lost the ball, Niederlechner (2nd) pushed into the penalty area, but didn’t hit the ball properly at the end, so that it rolled past the goal on the left. In general, Hertha attacked the guests early on, but rarely converted their own ball gains into dangerous counterattacks.
In a game characterized by duels, in which FCA also remained too harmless, Hertha’s Jessic Ngankam (44th) only had the second chance to score shortly before the break. The 22-year-old aimed just over the bar from the right edge of the penalty area.
After the break, Augsburg tried to invest more in attacks and seek depth, but Hertha remained a little more compelling. With the pitch conditions deteriorating due to the onset of snowfall, the hosts relied on long-range shots.
FCA goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz safely parried the first of Tolga Cigerci’s (57th) sweep, but then Richter struck. After a blocked free kick, the 25-year-old took a shot from 25 meters and threw the ball into the right corner.
Just eight minutes later, Lukebakio, who came on at half-time, raised the ball. After that, Hertha passionately managed their lead.