Hertha-Schreck Andrej Kramaric keeps the Berliners waiting for their first home win of the season. The team coached by Sandro Schwarz had to come to terms with a 1-1 (1-1) draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, who for their part missed out on third place in the table due to the second draw in a row.
In his 200th Bundesliga game, Kramaric gave Hoffenheim the lead in the 25th minute. Before the break, Dodi Lukabakio (37th) equalized in front of 41,653 spectators. With a lead of just two points on 16th place, the sporting pressure on Hertha continues to increase.
All the background noise surrounding investor Lars Windhorst and his alleged involvement as a client in a campaign against former Hertha President Werner Gegenbauer played no role on the pitch after the whistle. The hole in the goal net, which caused a slight delay in kick-off, was also patched.
The Hertha team started enthusiastically. Strong in duels, aggressive, determined – but so does the opponent. The first few minutes were rather wild and intense. And almost with a very early penalty for the guests, in which Herthan’s Suat Serdar, who had returned to the team, would have been involved. However, an offside position prevented things from getting worse for the hosts, who were loudly pushed forward by their fans and created chances. Aka Wilfriede Kanga (8th) and Lukebakio (16th) but warped.
It will be quiet in Berlin for a moment
With increasing playing time, the ball rolled better and better through the ranks of Hoffenheim. Kramaric (19th) didn’t aim accurately enough at first. A few minutes later, the ball landed from his foot in the Hertha net. Who else? The player from Croatia has not scored more often against any other team. This was his tenth goal against the Berlin club in their 13th meeting. Kramaric cleverly deflected a shot from Ozan Kabak from around 16 meters past Hertha keeper Oliver Christensen into the goal. For a short time it was pretty quiet in the Olympic Stadium.
But Hertha came back. Lukebakio equalized with a great shot, it was his third goal of the season. And one that gave the team a boost against Hoffenheim, who had dominated the game with an impressive pass rate of 90 percent. The second goal almost fell against the hosts. Kramaric was involved again, failing with a shot under the crossbar. Christensen parried the subsequent header from Grischa Prömel, once with Hertha’s city rivals 1. FC Union.
Hertha did not want to be satisfied with the draw after two previous draws and had chances again after the change of sides. Chidera Ejuke (48th), Ivan Sunjic and Lukebakio (both 56th) forgave. The will was palpable. But Hoffenheim held back and remained dangerous for his part. But a goal didn’t want to fall anymore.
“That’s his opinion”
Before the game, manager Fredi Bobic did not want to comment on the content of Windhorst’s clear criticism of the club’s management in the affair about an alleged involvement of a detective agency by the investor. “I don’t react to that at all,” said the managing director of the streaming service DAZN. Bobic added: “That’s his opinion, he can express it publicly.”
In a long statement in a private Facebook group of Hertha fans, Windhorst dismissed media reports about the alleged commitment of an Israeli service provider to discredit former Hertha President Werner Gegenbauer and described them as nonsense.
The 45-year-old investor found incomprehension that Hertha had hired a law firm to clarify the situation and that Windhorst was apparently supposed to submit a written statement by this Monday. “All this has nothing to do with new beginnings and respect,” Windhorst wrote. Through his Tennor group, Windhorst has transferred 374 million euros to the Berlin club since joining.
The club’s fans also reacted to the recent events surrounding investor Windhorst on Sunday. “Dirty campaigns, detectives and millions will not end it, Hertha BSC remains firmly in our hands,” read a multi-part banner that was held up in the corner before the game. After the kick-off, another followed with the clear request in large letters: “Windhorst out of our club.”
“If nothing comes…”
It was their job to check what really happened, emphasized Bobic. “You have to do that as an association, also towards the members.” It is also about supporting President Kay Bernstein. This, once a whipper and ultra, had taken over the post after Gegenbauer’s resignation.
“If you knew what happened, you would discuss it internally and then make statements on how to proceed,” stressed Bobic. According to media reports, Windhorst has until the Day of German Unity to explain himself. “If nothing comes, it will be reassessed,” said Bobic.
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