66
16:58
Yellow card for Marco Richter (Hertha BSC)
Richter goes down after a slight contact. Referee Aytekin decides to swallow.
65
16:58
Hertha coach Dárdai changes twice and brings Ngankam and Mittelstädt for Niederlechner and Lukébakio.
65
16:57
Substitution at Hertha BSC: Maximilian Mittelstädt
65
16:57
Substitution at Hertha BSC: Dodi Lukébakio
65
16:56
Substitution at Hertha BSC: Jessic Ngankam
65
16:56
Substitution at Hertha BSC: Florian Niederlechner
64
16:55
Yellow card for Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart)
Endo pulls the tactical foul against Dárdai and is cautioned.
63
16:54
The action is currently taking place between the two penalty areas. From time to time, VfB approaches the box, but then doesn’t seem compelling enough.
60
16:52
Niederlechner is sent into the penalty area on the left with a through ball, so that the striker suddenly appears free in front of Bredlow. However, the Berliner fails from an acute angle at the VfB keeper, who spreads himself wide – but then the flag goes up because Niederlechner was offside.
57
16:49
Next change on the guest side: Führich comes on for Haraguchi.
56
16:48
Substitution at VfB Stuttgart: Chris Führich
56
16:48
Substitution at VfB Stuttgart: Genki Haraguchi
55
16:46
VfB comes out of the cabin a bit more agile and looks for the way to the goal. Hertha lets the Swabians come, but defends with commitment.
52
16:43
Lukébakio is sent down the right with a long ball and swings inwards, aiming for the left corner. His shot just missed the left post.
49
16:40
Silas, who has just come on as a substitute, keeps his foot on it against Niederlechner, but gets away without a warning. After a short break in treatment, Niederlechner will continue.
46
16:37
Referee Aytekin whistles for the second round. VfB made a change: Silas Katompa Mvumpa is now in the game for Tiago Tomás. There are no personnel changes at Hertha.
46
16:37
Substitution at VfB Stuttgart: Silas Katompa Mvumpa
46
16:37
Substitution at VfB Stuttgart: Tiago Tomás
46
16:37
Kick-off 2nd half
45+2
16:22
Mid-term conclusion:
After the first round, Hertha BSC leads 2-1 against VfB Stuttgart. In an overall balanced relegation thriller with few chances to score, Hertha took the lead with a header from ex-Stuttgarter Kempf. Shortly before the break, Guirassy shortened the lead after assisting Vagnoman from close range. With the half-time whistle, Niederlechner put the Berliners back in front after toeing a Lukébakio free-kick over the line.
45+2
16:20
End of 1st half
45+2
16:18
Tooor for Hertha BSC, 2: 1 by Florian Niederlechner
Hertha leads again! Lukebakio puts the ball in front of the goal with a free kick from the right half field, which Niederlechner Bredlow pokes through his braces with a long leg. Ito scrapes the ball out of the box, but goal-line technique decides the ball was fully behind the line.
45+1
16:17
The final minutes in the first half are running and both teams take it easy. Anything else going on here?
45
16:17
Official injury time (minutes): 2
44
16:15
Was that a criminal contact? Niederlechner enters the penalty area from the left and is slightly touched by Zagadou. The striker calls for a penalty, but referee Aytekin correctly decides to continue.
41
16:13
VfB tries again and again via Sosa on the left, who tries to get into the penalty area with sharp crosses. Hertha has hardly gotten the Croatian under control so far.
38
16:09
Tooor for VfB Stuttgart, 1:1 by Serhou Guirassy
VfB equalizes! Sosa crosses from the right to the far post, where Vagnoman is completely free and puts the ball in the middle, where Guirassy slides into the empty net from close range.
37
16:08
It remains a balanced relegation duel. There can be no talk of control or dominance on either side.
34
16:04
Good chance to equalize for VfB! Sosa takes a corner from the left to the far post where the ball falls right in front of Millot’s feet. However, the 20-year-old Frenchman fails to complete the shot so that the ball goes wide to the right.
32
16:02
Hertha presents in the relegation duel. How does VfB react to this setback?
29
16:01
Tooor for Hertha BSC, 1:0 by Marc Oliver Kempf
Hertha leads! Richter takes a corner from the right into the penalty area, which VfB can clear first. The ball comes back to Richter, who crosses directly to Kempf’s head, who prevails in the aerial duel against Zagadou and pushes the ball over the line with the help of the left inside post.
27
16:00
Dardai finds Lukébakio on the right with a great shift, who returns the ball to the backcourt. Tousart comes rushing there, but misses the ball from a promising position.
26
15:57
Sosa and Lukébakio are down after a duel and need to be treated by the coaches. After a short break, both can continue playing.
23
15:54
The Swabians now have more of the game again and are patiently looking for the gap. In the last third of the attack, however, there is still a lack of penetrating power and creativity.
20
15:52
Guirassy nailed the free kick that followed in the second attempt from the edge of the penalty area in the direction of the left corner. Uremovic gets his foot in between, clearing the ball out of danger.
19
3:50 p.m
Yellow card for Florian Niederlechner (Hertha BSC)
Niederlechner blocked the free kick that followed because he ran out of the wall too early. He sees a yellow card for that.
18
15:49
Yellow card for Filip Uremović (Hertha BSC)
Uremović stops a pass from VfB with his hand just before the penalty area – clear thing.
16
15:46
The Berliners increase the pressure and push VfB far back into their own half. Lukébakio takes Jovetić with him with a one-two and finishes flat about 18 meters from the goal. In the end, the ball just misses to the right.
13.
15:44
Good chance for Hertha! The hosts keep trying crosses, this time from the left onto the back post. There, Sosa clears his head directly onto Tousart’s foot, which closes directly from the half-right. The ball whizzes just past the left post – that was close!
11.
15:42
The atmosphere in the stands this Saturday afternoon is fantastic. Around 6,000 supporters from Stuttgart traveled to the capital and loudly supported their team.
8th.
15:39
VfB has the first good finish of the game. Vagnoman marches down the right flank in the direction of the penalty area and puts it centrally in front of the box, where Guirassy pulls away. However, his shot is too misplaced, so Christensen saves to the right.
6.
15:36
Plattenhardt is allowed to cross unhindered on the left and looks for Lukébakio in the penalty area, who cannot control the ball so that VfB can clear it.
4.
15:34
Stuttgart has more play in the early minutes and lets the ball circulate through their own ranks. Hertha starts just after the center line and narrows the spaces.
1.
15:32
The ball rolls. Stuttgart abuts in red and black jerseys. Hertha is in blue and white today.
15:22
The referee of the game is called Deniz Aytekin. His assistants on the sidelines are Sascha Thielert and Tobias Endriss. Benjamin Brand is the video referee in the Cologne basement.
15:20
The first leg ended in a heart-stopping final. After Guirassy gave VfB an early lead, Lukebakio equalized for Hertha. In the last minute of stoppage time, Mavropanos then headed in VfB’s 2-1 winner. Who will win today’s six-point game and get important points for staying up? We’ll find out soon, we’re looking forward to an exciting game in the relegation battle.
15:16
Let’s look at the staff: VfB have to do without Karazor, who has been suspended. In addition, the ailing Mavropanos is missing. On the Hertha side, Kempf returns after serving a yellow card suspension.
15:10
The Swabians can hope for special support from their own supporters today: around 6,000 VfBers have traveled to the capital. “Our fans are outstanding, they give us strength and energy and we hope to have the same effect on Saturday. For example, what they gave from the stands in the cup game on Wednesday evening was unbelievable. I’m in a very positive mood when I hear how many will be there in Berlin,” said VfB coach Hoeneß.
15:05
VfB Stuttgart also wants to throw everything in in the last four games in order to stay up in the league. The guests are currently on the relegation place with 28 points – tied with the penultimate from Bochum. In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart recently won 2-1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. On Wednesday, after a 2:3 defeat against Frankfurt, VfB had to accept the end of the DFB Cup.
14:58
“If you then remain persistent, keep at it – then we’ll get the points that we need too! The most important thing is that the guys radiate trust among themselves, our audience is always there anyway. On Saturday we have to send out a team that has a winning mentality and can win this game for us. Football has its own dynamic. Winning is important – not telling. Four games, four wins – we live by that motto,” said Hertha coach Dárdai before the game.
14:55
The Berliners are currently in last place in the table with 22 points. The distance to the non-relegation places is currently seven points. Last weekend, the capital city lost 2-0 at FC Bayern Munich, despite a committed performance.
14:45
In a groundbreaking game in the relegation battle, it’s all about survival in the 1st Bundesliga for both teams today. If Hertha BSC loses, the capitals are unlikely to be saved. VfB Stuttgart, on the other hand, can take a big step towards staying up in the league with a win and leave the relegation places for the time being.
14:38
Hello and welcome to the 31st match day of the Bundesliga! This Saturday afternoon, Hertha BSC meets VfB Stuttgart. The game in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin kicks off at 3:30 p.m.