VAR-awarded penalty enough for Mainz to beat Hertha

Hertha went down to their second defeat of the season on Saturday, coming away from Mainz empty handed after a 1-0 defeat.

Mainz – In a game of few chances, technology had the final say as Pablo de Blasis slotted home the winner from the spot after Karim Rekik was adjudged to have felled Yoshinuro Muto following a TV review in Cologne. Vedad Ibisevic also saw red for Hertha towards the end.

Pal Dardai made two changes from the side that beat Leverkusen on Wednesday. Niklas Stark replaced Sebastian Langkamp while Fabian Lustenberger came in for Vladimir Darida.

Neither team set their stall out to be attacking, and the entire ninety minutes was completely devoid of risk. The visitors did however look solid right the way through the starting XI, even if the only highlights of a quieter first half saw Salomon Kalou and Mitchell Weiser blocked on their way to goal early on.

The second half started badly for the Blue and Whites as Rekik’s challenge on Muto on the edge of the box was deemed to be worthy of a penalty following a video review, and the resultant kick saw De Blasis beat Jarstein to his left with a low effort. Dardai’s boys responded positively, but Vedad Ibisevic somehow contrived to miss the target from eight yards when clean through. Hertha would not get such an opening again, The closest they came was Valentin Stocker’s effort from distance which forced Zerofivers‘ ‘keeper Rene Adler into a smart stop. Captain Ibisevic then received his marching orders in the final moments after a long discussion with the referee.

After the avoidable defeat in Mainz Hertha stay ninth in the table, with two wins, two draws and two defeats from six games. The boys return to the European stage on Thursday with a trip to Swedish side Östersunds FK, before a home Bundesliga game with Bayern Munich next Sunday.