Kevin-Prince Boateng stood there and was amazed. The Hertha BSC midfielder looked in the direction of the east curve, where an elaborate choreography by the Berlin fans was just beginning. Blue and white flags were waved and banners raised. Boateng’s respect for the Ultras’ work was clear to see. “That was super cool,” said goalkeeper Oliver Christensen later.
The game between Hertha and Eintracht Frankfurt also gave plenty of reason to be amazed. At least from the point of view of the Berliners, who started the new season with two defeats in competitive games. On Saturday, however, in the first home game in front of 44,694 spectators, Hertha were clearly superior to the Europa League winners in the first half and deservedly led 1-0. It was still not enough for the first win of the season.
And yet Hertha was reasonably fortunate in the end – because referee Frank Willenborg somewhat surprisingly took back a penalty kick for Frankfurt two minutes before the end after apparently endlessly studying the TV pictures. So the Berliners got at least the first point after it had remained 1-1 against Eintracht, who have now been victorious for ten Bundesliga games throughout the season. “It’s important for us,” said goalkeeper Christensen. “Of course not everything was perfect, but it was a good step.”
After the defeat in the derby, Hertha’s coach Sandro Schwarz made four changes to his team. Maximilian Mittelstädt and Chidera Ejuke replaced Marvin Plattenhardt and Myziane Maolida, both of whom were injured. In addition, Boateng and Davie Selke were replaced by Wilfried Kanga and Lucas Tousart, who even wore the captain’s armband.
More important than the changed line-up, however, was the changed attitude of the Berliners. Coach Schwarz had complained about his team’s lack of energy after the defeat in the derby. There was no lack of that this time. Schwarz gave his team a “very, very good reaction to last week”. Hertha went to work with a much higher intensity. “A completely different mentality and dynamism” recognized defender Marc Kempf, while Schwarz thought “that we had good energy and good charisma for long stretches”.
That paid off early on. In the second minute, Ejuke Daichi Kamada baited the ball on the center line. Dodi Lukebakio crossed precisely into the penalty area from the right, where Suat Serdar rushed in with speed and a lot of energy, prevailed against Ansgar Knauff and headed in to give Hertha a 1-0 lead.
Hertha’s appearance looked completely different than a week earlier in the Alte Försterei. The home team had two more good chances before the break, both initiated by Maximilian Mittelstädt, who hadn’t even made it into the squad in the first two competitive games. “Maxi did it very well,” said Schwarz. The first time Evan Ndicka saved from Kanga, the second time Hertha’s center forward made a perfect break, but then shoveled the ball over the bar from five yards.
The Frankfurt attacker Lucas Alario had acted similarly clumsily. Just five minutes after Hertha’s lead, he was served by Kamada – and deflected the ball past the empty goal from five yards. The linesman immediately raised the flag, but an offside position could not be identified. The goal would have counted.
Frankfurt, who demanded it against Real Madrid in the European Supercup on Wednesday, had a hard time with Hertha. They certainly had the upper hand in possession in the first half, but they seemed a bit tired and sluggish. Only once did it become dangerous before the break: when Hertha’s six Ivan Sunjic unintentionally headed the ball right into Kamada’s foot. But his shot flew high over the goal.
Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner made the switch in the second half, bringing in Faride Alidou for Knauff. The fact that it was 1-1 a few seconds later had less to do with Eintracht than with Hertha. Central defender Filip Uremovic lost the ball in the build-up. Randal Kolo Muani served Kamada in the middle, who was able to score easily.
The security that Hertha had awarded before the break had vanished for the time being. It was now an open game, with many chances for both sides, whereby Eintracht seemed a bit more mature, while Hertha seemed a bit naïve at times. “It can feel like it can tilt in either direction,” said Marc Kempf. But no more goals were scored. Also because referee Willenborg intervened again shortly before the end after Oliver Christensen caught Frankfurt striker Rafael Borré on the foot.
A far too light touch, said some; sufficient and the cause of Borré’s subsequent fall, the others found. “I can understand Frankfurt’s frustration,” said Sandro Schwarz. “But not every physical contact is a foul.”
