Hertha BSC plays 2-2 at VfB Stuttgart

Immediately after the final whistle, Tayfun Korkut clapped all the players on the bench. The new Hertha BSC coach did not show any great emotions, but he definitely looked relieved. His team had won 2: 2 (1: 2) at VfB Stuttgart.

In the table of the Bundesliga, the point gain has only minor effects: Hertha remains in 14th place, but is still ahead of VfB. Judging by the course of the game, it was a point win for morale, because Hertha was 0: 2 behind early on.

“Three points would not have been undeserved, but we can be satisfied with the start,” said Korkut at Dazn. Attacking player Marco Richter spoke of “mixed feelings”: “We would have liked to have taken home the three points. But we came back safely. ”While the guests could live with the draw, VfB was frustrated. “That annoys me,” said coach Pellegrino Matarazzo about the fact that a lead with two goals was not enough. “We didn’t continue after the 2-0 win,” criticized the Stuttgart coach.

Korkut, who played on the sidelines with a white shirt, dark suit and dark jacket, had always scored at least one point on his previous Bundesliga debut. This streak lasted.

Otherwise, the 47-year-old experienced a few premieres: his first game as a Hertha coach and his first Bundesliga game without fans. More precisely, almost without. According to a decision by the state government of Baden-Württemberg, 750 people were allowed to attend, 395 spectators were officially there. At least the coach knew the stadium very well: Korkut was born in Stuttgart and trained the VfB professionals in 2018.

Tactically, Korkut had chosen the 4-4-2 system that he had favored at earlier stations. He changed the starting line-up to four positions compared to the last game played by predecessor Pal Dardai. Suat Serdar fell out with a cold, Vladimir Darida was allowed to play for him. In addition, captain Dedryck Boyata moved into central defense after his red card suspension. Niklas Stark initially sat on the bench. In addition, Myziane Maolida and Stevan Jovetic played instead of Maximilian Mittelstädt and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp.

Lucas Tousart, who was infected with the corona virus, was not in the squad. The Frenchman has no symptoms, according to the club.
At first it looked neat what Hertha was offering. Well staggered defensively, more offensively oriented and with a first chance through Ishak Belfodil after a solo by Maolida.

Then it got very wild for a while. Jovetic lost the ball in the 15th minute in the opponent’s penalty area. A long pass from Waldemar Anton was enough to pass the completely advanced team. So Omar Marmoush could walk freely towards the goal. Boyata had no chance to catch up with him and Marmoush took the lead.

Four minutes later, no one felt responsible for Philipp Förster on the next counterattack, who finished unrestricted. Again goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was powerless. 0: 2 after less than 20 minutes, made possible by bad defensive behavior – a coaching debut could hardly start any worse. Schwolow prevented an even more gloomy interim result for Berlin shortly afterwards against Marmoush.

Worth seeing from a distance

“We got two easy goals, but we still didn’t let up,” Korkut praised. Stuttgart now played just as carelessly as Hertha before in defense. Belfodil’s hit didn’t count because Darida was offside, an at least debatable decision. In the 40th minute, Jovetic hit with a flick from a distance.

The second half started rather slowly. On the one hand, substitute Alexis Tibidi failed to hit the ball properly while attempting to shoot, on the other hand Maolida failed when attempting a sharp cross into the center. And the second goal of the day from Marmoush, the striker was wafer-thin offside.

Korkut first brought Ekkelenkamp for Maolida, a few minutes later Kevin-Prince Boateng and Stark for Jordan Torunarigha and Richter. Hertha developed a goal danger again just in time. First Jovetic pulled a free kick on goal from the left – Florian Müller was there. In the 76th minute, Marvin Plattenhardt crossed into the middle, Belfodil put down well for Jovetic, who made it 2-2 from close range and thus saved Hertha a point. (Tsp)