Terrific fightback secures draw with Bayern

Hertha fought back from 2-0 down against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Sunday to pick up a deserved point in the Olympiastadion.

Berlin – It was all looking so bleak after fifty minutes as Robert Lewandowski beat Rune Jarstein from close range to double the visitors’ advantage following Mats Hummels’ early header. Ten minutes later, and a flurry of Blue and White had turned the tide and got the Olympiastadion rocking. Quick strikes from Ondrej Duda and Salomon Kalou pegged Bayern back from 2-0 up for the second time in a two matchdays and saw the spoils shared come the final whistle.

Pal Dardai made eight changes from the side which lose in Östersunds in midweek. Salomon Kalou replaced the banned Vedad Ibisevic. Thomas Kraft, Jordan Torunarigha, Sebastian Langkamp were replaced by Rune Jarstein, Marvin Plattenhardt and Karim Rekik. Genki Haraguchi started for the first time this season in midfield, with Ondrej Duda, Vladimir Darida and Mathew Leckie back in from the start too.

Valentino Lazaro, Alex Esswein, Fabian Lustenberger and Peter Pekarik took their places on the bench.

Pal Dardai made eight changes from the side which lose in Östersunds in midweek. Salomon Kalou replaced the banned Vedad Ibisevic. Thomas Kraft, Jordan Torunarigha, Sebastian Langkamp were replaced by Rune Jarstein, Marvin Plattenhardt and Karim Rekik. Genki Haraguchi started for the first time this season in midfield, with Ondrej Duda, Vladimir Darida and Mathew Leckie back in from the start too. Valentino Lazaro, Alex Esswein, Fabian Lustenberger and Peter Pekarik took their places on the bench.

Over 71,000 fans in the Olympiastadion saw two teams looking to attack from the beginning. Bayern struck first blood when Hertha failed to deal with a free kick from the right and Mats Hummels nodded home when the second ball came back into the box. The home side responded, and Vladimir Darida danced through the Bayern back line before firing wide. Then came controversy. Darida looked to have won his side a penalty when he was apparently tripped by Boateng in the area, only for referee Harm Osmers to refer to the Video Review system and reverse his decision after several watches of the TV replay pitch side. The Czech international was denied by Sven Ulreich from close range before Jarstein denied Lewandowski at his near post and Stark denied the same player right on the line after the Bayern forward had chipped Jarstein shortly before half time.

Hertha pressed from the off in the second period, but found themselves further behind when Lewandowski got in behind and prodded the ball past Jarstein. The response from Hertha was instant. And quite superb. Haraguchi picked up the ball on the left side of the edge of the penalty and proceeded to go on a stunning mazs run to beat the entire Bayern backline before squaing across goal to leave Ondrej Duda with a simple tap in at the back post. Five minutes later and the comeback was complete, Kalou found himself one-on-one 15 yards out and finished coolly past Ulreich to send those in the stands into delirium. Bayern pushed more in the closing stages and there were fears that another hearthbreaking late goal was on the cards for the Bavarian, but Jarstein held on comfortably to everything Willy Sagnol’s side could throw at them.

Over 71,000 fans in the Olympiastadion saw two teams looking to attack from the beginning. Bayern struck first blood when Hertha failed to deal with a free kick from the right and Mats Hummels nodded home when the second ball came back into the box. The home side responded, and Vladimir Darida danced through the Bayern back line before firing wide. Then came controversy. Darida looked to have won his side a penalty when he was apparently tripped by Boateng in the area, only for referee Harm Osmers to refer to the Video Review system and reverse his decision after several watches of the TV replay pitch side. The Czech international was denied by Sven Ulreich from close range before Jarstein denied Lewandowski at his near post and Stark denied the same player right on the line after the Bayern forward had chipped Jarstein shortly before half time.

Hertha pressed from the off in the second period, but found themselves further behind when Lewandowski got in behind and prodded the ball past Jarstein. The response from Hertha was instant. And quite superb. Haraguchi picked up the ball on the left side of the edge of the penalty and proceeded to go on a stunning mazs run to beat the entire Bayern backline before squaing across goal to leave Ondrej Duda with a simple tap in at the back post. Five minutes later and the comeback was complete, Kalou found himself one-on-one 15 yards out and finished coolly past Ulreich to send those in the stands into delirium. Bayern pushed more in the closing stages and there were fears that another hearthbreaking late goal was on the cards for the Bavarian, but Jarstein held on comfortably to everything Willy Sagnol’s side could throw at them.

Hertha move up one place to tenth in the table with nine points from seven games, while Bayern go into the International break in second on 14 points, five behind leaders Dortmund. Schalke 04 are the next visitors to the Olympiastadion when the Bundesliga resumes on Saturday October 14 at 15:30 CEST.