First setback for 1. FC Kaiserslautern under new coach Dimitrios Grammozis. After the 2-0 win in the DFB Cup against 1. FC Nürnberg on Tuesday, the “Red Devils” had to draw 1-2 (1-0) in the 2nd Bundesliga on Saturday (December 9th, 2023). Hertha BSC admit defeat.
It was the fifth defeat in the 2nd league for the Betzenberg team in a row.
Hertha has been unbeaten in six games
Almamy Toure (16th) put the Palatinate team in the lead. The Berliners, who beat Hamburger SV on penalties in the DFB Cup during the week, equalized through Florian Niederlechner (49th). Kaiserslautern also lost Afeez Aremu due to a serious foul (57th) with a red card according to video evidence.
Then the game ended. Marc-Oliver Kempf (82nd) made it 2-1 for the Berliners, who have been unbeaten in six games.
Dardai: “You have to win the game with the red card”
“The first half wasn’t so good, but we came out well in the second half. The 1-1 was deserved. Then came the red card, but you have to say that Kaiserslautern was better before that. With the red card you have to do that win the game and that’s what we did,” Hertha coach Pal Dardai said after the Sportschau game.
FCK just before the relegation zone
For FCK, who had to do without the injured Ragnar Ache for a short time, they have 18 points and the relegation zone is not far away. Both teams played on equal terms in the early stages.
Sports show, December 9th, 2023 3:31 p.m
The goal to put the score behind came as a bit of a surprise, even though the guests were a bit unimaginative in their offensive actions. Hertha coach Pal Dardai had rotated a lot after the exhausting cup fight and, among other things, had left out cup hero Fabian Reese in the starting line-up.
Kaiserslautern is superior in combat
The hosts were repeatedly and emotionally driven forward by the new head coach in the Fritz Walter Stadium. They seemed superior to the Berliners in terms of fighting ability, especially in the first half.
Dardai made three changes at the start of the second half, including Reese and striker Haris Tabakovic. This gave the game a turnaround.
FCK has to go to Braunschweig, Hertha against Osnabrück
At the end of the year, 1. FC Kaiserslautern will play against Eintracht Braunschweig next Sunday (1:30 p.m.). Hertha BSC received VfL Osnabrück the day before (1 p.m.).