From BZ/dpa
First a new investor deal, but then only one point: Hertha BSC missed the third home win in a row and is still deep in the relegation battle.
With the 1-1 (1-0) win on Saturday, the Berliners ended the winning streak of FSV Mainz 05, who recently won four times in the Bundesliga. But the draw didn’t make Hertha happy.
Ludovic Ajorque (57th minute) scored the equalizer for Mainz, who had been disappointing for a long time. Jessic Ngankam gave Berlin the lead in the 18th minute with a hand penalty in front of 41,689 spectators in the Olympic Stadium.
A few hours before the game, Hertha announced the cooperation with the new investor 777 Partners. The Americans replace the controversial entrepreneur Lars Windhorst as financier. According to media reports, new millions will soon be transferred.
Florian Niederlechner played again from the start Photo: City Press
Three points would have been more important for Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz. With 21 points, the Berliners remain in the acutely endangered table zone. For their part, Mainz, who were well served with one point after their big upswing, could not move any closer to the top third of the Bundesliga rankings.
Hertha trainer Sandro Schwarz quickly exchanged the pleasantries of seeing old friends from Mainz. He wanted to see intensity from his team on the pitch against his ex-club. And the Berliners delivered, showed their home face and dominated the starting phase. Florian Niederlechner (2nd) missed a cross from Ngankam. Suat Serdar, another ex-Mainzer, fired a shot at the 05 goal (9′).
A little later, all skeptics of the video evidence received arguments. When Lucas Tousart crossed (15′), the ball apparently touched Leandro Barreiro’s hand on his outstretched arm. Video referee Sören Storks saw it. Referee Benjamin Curtus checked the scene on the screen and awarded a penalty.
Jessic Ngankam safely converts the hand penalty to 1-0 for Hertha Photo: City Press
More than three minutes after the at best marginal offense, Ngankam confidently pushed in to Hertha’s lead. Schwarz had enlisted the 22-year-old instead of top scorer Dodi Lukebakio in order to have more power in pressing. A good decision.
Mainz coach Bo Svensson made contortions on the sidelines out of frustration, which was apparently intended to document his displeasure at the whistle. But his team did very little to provide sporting arguments for a turnaround. No shot on goal in the first half, that was certainly not Svensson’s match plan.
Even after the change of sides, not much changed at first. Niederlechner (50th) just missed the ball. When Mainz top striker Karim Onisiwo was about to come on as a substitute after three weeks out through injury, the equalizer came. Ajorque threw the ball into the corner without a hitch.
Now Mainz was on the trigger. At Hertha you could feel the fear of a complete bankruptcy. But the chance to win was still there: Marc Oliver Kempf (69th) thundered a header into the crossbar.