Stand: 04.12.2020 | Reading time: 4 minutes
The beginning of the end of Union Berlin: Hertha’s Peter Pekarik celebrates his goal to make it 1: 1 in the 51st minute. In the end, the team won 3-1
Source: Getty Images / Maja Hitij
Union Berlin’s successful streak ended in the derby of all things. The team was decimated early by a red card. It still took Hertha a long time to take advantage of this. In the end, however, the result was clear.
Dhe Hertha professionals with match winner Krzysztof Piatek danced in front of the deserted Ostkurve in the Olympiastadion, after the end of a long series of successes, the Unioners dropped onto the bench in the Berlin city duel, disappointed.
Hertha center forward Piatek, who was substituted at the break, ensured the 3-1 (0-1) success against rivals 1. FC Union on Friday evening at the start of the tenth game day with his goals in the 74th and 77th minutes. It was the first home win of the “old lady” this season, the opponent from Berlin-Köpenick, however, lost since September 19 and thus eight games for the first time again.
“We are very relieved because we knew what was at stake. Berlin remains blue and white, ”said Hertha’s defender Niklas Stark. After the guests were led by Taiwo Awoniyi (20th minute) and the dismissal for Union clearer Robert Andrich (24th) for gross foul play, Peter Pekarik (51st) had equalized for Hertha. Hertha moved up to eleventh place with eleven points due to the victory in the table, but is still five points behind the Sixth Union.
The Unioner, who had gone into a derby as the better positioned team for the first time, wanted to make up for something after the frustrating 0: 4 in the last city duel in May. Midfielder Andrich set clear signals with two rustic duels in the seemingly ghostly Olympic Stadium without fans: eight games in a row without defeat ensured a lot of self-confidence in the Iron.
“The red card was of course a turning point in the game,” said Union goalkeeper Andreas Luthe: “We had hoped that we would then get a lucky punch, through a corner or something. But Hertha played with a lot of patience and in the end decided the game. “
Red card against Unions Andrich
Hertha coach Bruno Labbadia initially did without Piatek. For this he brought in Lucas Tousart an additional midfielder. In addition, after a long injury and Covid-19 break, Jordan Torunarigha replaced the ailing Omar Alderete in defense.
Labbadia said after the game: “It was an incredibly restless game. It wasn’t fun to watch from the outside. It wasn’t easy, Union didn’t have so many points for nothing, we didn’t do it well. We are therefore glad that we won. “
Hertha took control visually. But with the first serious attack, the guests shocked the hosts. Marcus Ingvartsen put the ball through to Awoniyi, the Liverpool loan beat Tousart and Matteo Guendouzi and pushed the ball into the far corner to score his second goal of the season.
From the 24th minute, at least numerically, the balance of power on the pitch changed suddenly. Andrich went into a duel again without regard and hit Tousart on the head with a leg that was much too high. Referee Felix Brych pulled straight red.
Hertha struggled with the personnel superiority, the five-man chain, which was offered by Union coach Urs Fischer from the beginning, closed the rooms. Dodi Lukebakio had the first chance for Hertha after a corner from Matheus Cunha. But the Belgian’s header was too unplaced. Shortly before the break, Julian Ryerson cleared again from Lukebakio after an input from Vladimir Darida.
“If you are outnumbered for 70 minutes, then it is difficult to survive against any Bundesliga club. We lose our strength, Hertha throws fresh players in, then it will be difficult in the end. I would have loved to see how the game would have ended if eleven against eleven had played to the end. Then the result would have been different, I think, “said Union defensive player Christopher Trimmel.
Injured limping off the square – fears for Max Kruse
Hertha would have needed the penetration of striker Jhon Cordoba well, but the Colombian is currently missing, as is Santiago Ascacibar due to injury. Union had to get along in the derby without the attackers Anthony Ujah and Joel Pohjanpalo as well as without Nico Schlotterbeck and Christian Gentner.
Hertha sports director Arne Friedrich made a clear judgment at the break. “We’re making a bad game.” Labbadia reacted and brought Piatek and Javairo Dilrosun as offensive forces – and it was successful: Union keeper Andreas Luthe could only pull off the shot from Hertha’s top scorer Cunha, defender Pekarik put the ball in the margin to the second goal of the season.
But Union did not allow itself to be disrupted at first. But the first Bundesliga double strike by Piatek, who was bought by AC Milan for 24 million euros a year ago, made the decision for Hertha. Union had no strength left to counter again. Then another bitter scene for the guests: Max Kruse, who was unable to set any big accents this time, injured himself in stoppage time and had to leave the field. It didn’t look good. He had to be taken from the square, supported by two supervisors. “We don’t yet know how bad it is. That must show more detailed investigations, “said Union coach Urs Fischer.
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