Hertha BSC | Maza: “That was too weak for us”

Hanging heads at Hertha: Ibrahim Maza (M.) is dissatisfied with the performance against Ulm.

IMAGO/combination 1

Before the game, the heroes from behind then went to the east loop of the Olympic Stadium. Coach Jürgen Röber, culture keeper Gabor Kiraly, head of defense Kjetil Rekdal, midfield virtuoso Dariusz Wosz and many others – 25 years later A match against FC Barcelona (1:1) in the Champions League Hertha BSC invited the 99er team to the home game against SSV Ulm. The atmosphere was good, the visibility was excellent this time. But what Röber, Wosz & Co. saw was not. from his successors enough: Hertha BSC is still chasing after his own demands at home.

The 2:2 earned by the confident newcomer mirrored Berlin’s season so far. After their own lead, Hertha surprisingly often fall into passivity, lacking clarity in the attacking third and lacking the necessary consistency in key defensive duels.

“We managed to take the lead – and then we don’t keep our foot on the gas, but for reasons I can’t explain, we give up the game and become passive,” said Hertha coach Cristian Fiel after the final whistle. To have a chance, you have to make the last pass, win the one-on-one. We still make too many mistakes.”

Fell criticizes “catastrophic” defense.

This applied to both rounds. Or the early 1-0 Ibrahim Maza (6th), with Ulm goalkeeper Niclas Thiede as his inspiration, the score was 2-1 Derry Scherhants Dust off after Maza’s shot blocked by Thiede (52nd) gave the hosts the security they needed. “In the second half,” Fiel said regularly, “I can sing a similar song. we’re still making too many mistakes and conceding too many goals – and we’re not scoring enough either.”

The equalizer to make it 2-2 was crucial, when Ulm’s stalwart Maurice Krattenmacher was able to run through Berlin’s midfield so defiantly that there seemed to be plenty of time and space. for a cappuccino order. Krattenmacher’s well-placed shot hit the Berliners to the heart (59′).

Maza’s clear words

Hertha’s home record of two wins in seven games is becoming more of a burden – and the patterns are repeating themselves. “Unfortunately, when we take an early lead, you don’t feel that it encourages us, but instead you get the feeling that we have something to lose,” said the goalkeeper. Tjark Ernst. “We are withdrawing and becoming passive. This is not the first time we have said this. We need to get this under control as soon as possible.”

The fact that we can’t take it back with performance is just sad.

Visitor Maza, who celebrates his 19th birthday on Sunday, also put his finger on the wound. “We took the lead twice and got the equalizer twice,” said the new Algerian international. “It was far too weak for us today after everything the fans gave us . With such weather and such a background, it is unbelievable. The fact that we can’t bring it back with performance is just ridiculous.”

So often this season, Hertha lost the thread. “We gave up control after we scored,” Maza said. “That’s not our football. We were too uncertain and had too many mistakes in the game.” With this imbalance in the game and the defensive vulnerability, the expected march towards the promotion places remains a wishful thinking at the moment.

Hertha: There are returners in the starting blocks

The injury to the right winger Martin Winklerwho was back in the starting line-up for the first time in two months and had to go down after 32 minutes due to a muscle injury (Fiel: “That doesn’t look good”), reducing the longer feeling. After all: a central defender Linus Gechter he came back ten weeks after breaking his collarbone in the last half hour against Düsseldorf (0-2). Other returners (Reese, Demme, Leistner) are in the starting blocks.

But Hertha must be careful not to lose contact completely before Christmas. The 2-2 draw against Ulm was the next stop in this complicated season. “It’s not enough for our intentions,” Ernst said. “That’s why it feels like a loss. ”

In the final stage, Hertha’s professionals had a problem with referee Eric Weisbach’s decision to disallow Michael Cuisance’s goal (86th), which would have meant Berlin’s third lead, after inter- the arrival of VAR, due to a previous push by the French. But inside, the Berliners knew two things: not this (understandable) decision, after striker Florian Niederlechner threw himself on the field in disbelief and received a card yellow, their main problem on Saturday afternoon – and, humbly, their own. Leadership in the fall of 2024 is often not what they should be: an advantage that provides a tailwind and brings dominance into your own game.