During the moments leading up to the break, Hertha BSC was encroaching on Eintracht Braunschweig’s penalty area. The tension was palpable as Palko Dardai prepared to take a free kick. It was reminiscent of the previous week against 1. FC Magdeburg where he had scored an impressive goal in a similar situation. However, this time, his attempt was less successful, sailing several meters over the goal. This was a telling moment, symbolizing that the first round in Braunschweig was one Hertha would prefer to erase from memory, especially given the halftime score of 0-1.
The second division soccer team from Berlin, however, experienced a different trajectory. The Berliners put up a fight, managing to secure a 1-1 (1-0) draw and a single point, although they were unable to exert significant pressure on Hamburger SV, who sat comfortably in third place on the table. This game was also notable as, after the German Football League ceased investor activities following large-scale fan protests, it was the first Hertha match in several weeks to be played without interruption.
Hertha’s coach, Pal Dardai, had previously indicated that he had a plethora of choices for the squad as all players were in peak physical condition. However, some last-minute changes were required; Marton Dardai was unable to play due to muscle-related issues. The team’s captain, Toni Leistner, was his replacement. Additionally, Florian Niederlechner replaced Haris Tabakovic after the latter’s suspension.
The match started slowly, with little of note occurring in the initial minutes. Suddenly, Hertha’s goalkeeper, Tjark Ernst, received a back pass – and promptly passed it to Andreas Bouchalakis located on the edge of the sixteen-yard box. Bouchalakis hesitated, seemingly unsure of where to aim, and ultimately made a poor decision: He unwisely played the ball across his own penalty area, where it was seized by Fabio Kaufmann, who swiftly and powerfully finished to score the opening goal.
With the hosts now fully engaged in the game, they continually disrupted Hertha’s build-up and had several opportunities to score. The Berliners, on the other hand, appeared lackluster. Fabian Reese made numerous attempts, but without much support, his efforts were largely ineffective.
As the second half commenced, coach Dardai made three changes, introducing Ibrahim Maza, Linus Gechter, and Tabakovic in place of Marten Winkler, Bouchalakis, and Niederlechner. These substitutions seemed to energize Hertha, who quickly caused instability in Braunschweig’s defense. Tabakovic had a golden opportunity after goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann made a mistake, but Tabakovic’s header failed to find the back of the net.
Not long afterward, Maza found the net with a well-aimed shot, scoring his first goal in the second division. The 18-year-old had missed the first half of the season due to an injury, making this a significant personal victory.
Approximately 15 minutes after the break, Eintracht found their rhythm again and began to make quick advances. This resulted in the game becoming even more heated and competitive, although there were few clear-cut chances. Gechter came tantalizingly close to scoring, but his shot went just over the goal.
In the final phase of the match, Braunschweig was at a disadvantage as they were reduced to ten men after Hasan Kurucay was shown a red card for fouling Palko Dardai. Despite this, the score remained unchanged. (Tsp)
