Freiburg (dpa) – Despite a decent performance, Hertha BSC is still waiting for a sense of achievement in the second half of the Bundesliga. The Berliners, who were badly hit by Corona and injuries, lost 0: 3 (0: 1) to SC Freiburg on Saturday, who underpinned his European Cup ambitions. Hertha, on the other hand, is floating as table 15. and with only one point ahead of the relegation place in danger of relegation. The penalty kick converted by Vincenzo Grifo (12′) and the late goals by Kevin Schade (83′) and Lucas Höler (86′) increased the concerns of the club from the capital, whose ongoing decline had already begun before the kick-off.
Some professionals were able to report back after the Corona outbreak last week. Symbolic of the misery was the question of who would keep the goal in Breisgau. Regular keeper Alexander Schwolow fell out with Corona. Since Rune Jarstein and Oliver Christensen are still in advanced training and Nils Körber was in poor health, Hertha coach Tayfun Korkut relied on 20-year-old goalkeeper Marcel Lotka. “He’s positively crazy,” said Korkut on pay-TV broadcaster Sky before kick-off about the nominally fifth goalkeeper. “He has his baptism of fire today. I trust him to play well.”
After a minute’s silence over Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Lotka put his coach’s words into action. In his first test, a free kick from Grifo, he was still the winner thanks to a save (6th). The Hertha defense couldn’t complain about boredom even after SC’s first approach. After a push from Roland Sallai, Linus Gechter only knew how to help himself with a tackle. Grifo converted the penalty that was due. It took twelve minutes for Lotka to concede his first goal in his young Bundesliga career.
With the early goal, the uncertainty among the guests, who had previously lost 6-1 to RB Leipzig, continued to increase. Lotka dropped a ball and experienced Dedryck Boyata, who started for the suspended Marc-Oliver Kempf, cleared straight into Sallai’s feet. However, the Hungarian was hindered by his own man (20′) and Grifo failed at the post from a tight angle (26′).
Korkut reacted and switched to two tips. That gave me more relief. Immediately afterwards, Vladimir Darida missed the equalizer (28′) and Peter Pekarik was saved ten minutes later by Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
After the change of sides, both teams lacked the pace forward and the accuracy in the passing game. However, Hertha now had more possession of the ball and thus exerted more pressure. SC trainer Streich tried to wake up his team. After Marco Richter appeared free in front of Flekken and failed (63rd), he made a double substitution and thus showed a lucky hand. But Korkut also had to react. Gechter exacerbated the staff bottleneck with an injury.
Freiburg had to tremble until the final phase, because the weakest team in the second half of the series was much more active. Late goals by substitute Schade and Höler eliminated doubts about the eleventh win of the season.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220226-99-298535/3
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