Our DFB-Pokal journey comes to an end
Tayfun Korkut made three changes to the team which started the goalless draw at Wolfsburg on the weekend. Captain Dedryck Boyata replaced Jordan Torunarigha who suffered an ankle injury in training. Suat Serdar and Lucas Tousart also came in for Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Myziane Maolida, who both dropped to the bench. Former Herthaner Genki Haraguchi was a substitute for the visitors.
Away side take the lead, VAR disallows Union penalty and Hertha equaliser
Union made the better start on the newly-relaid Olympiastadion pitch, Alexander Schwolow being forced into a save from Max Kruse inside ten seconds. The opening goal came ten minutes later, as a Kruse cross was acrobatically volleyed back across goal into the corner by Andreas Voglsammer (11’). Hertha had trouble dealing with the dangerous Köpenick side, taking until the half-hour mark to have their first shot – Klünter’s attempt was blocked (29’). Shortly afterwards, our number 13 fired a ball into the box which narrowly evaded both Tousart and Marco Richter (31’). At the other end, referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot for a Niklas Stark handball, but VAR intervened and gave a free kick to Hertha, as Voglsammer was offside in the build-up (32’). Serdar was the first to make the net ripple for the Blue-Whites, but his header hit the side netting (36’), before finding the right side of the net in added time, spinning brilliantly to score what seemed to be an equaliser. However, the linesman had his flag up – VAR confirmed that whilst Serdar was not offside himself, Ishak Belfodil was offside earlier on in the play. Half time came shortly afterward, with Hertha behind but growing into the game.
Three goals in five minutes – Union hit back to restore advantage
The second half started with two changes; Peter Pekarík and Myziane Maolida replaced Klünter and Richter. The half began with a huge chance for Hertha, as Belfodil cut the ball back for Vladimír Darida, who sliced over from close range (47’). A goal then came at the other end: Boyata slipped, allowing Öztunali in down the right. He crossed low, looking for Voglsammer, but Stark put through his own goal instead (50’). Our lads looked for a rapid response, and it came through Serdar on 54 minutes, as he squeezed the ball past Andreas Luthe from the tightest of angles. Incredibly, Union then scored within a minute to restore their two-goal advantage, Robin Knoche finding the net from a set piece (55’). The home side did not let heads drop, however, and looked for a way forward. Serdar missed following a corner on the hour mark, before Boyata missed a chance two minutes later. It transpired that he was pushed in the back by Dominique Heintz, but referee Aytekin and the VAR did not intervene. Union sat deep and Hertha looked for gaps in their armour which seldom came. Tousart’s from 20 yards was always bending away from goal, and Serdar was apparently offside when denied by Luthe (77’, 79’). Mittelstädt’s curling effort came close too (87’). Serdar, who was a shining light on a tough night for Hertha, chested a corner over the line in added time to make it 3-2, but that was all she wrote. There was no time to find an equaliser, and Hertha exited the DFB-Pokal in the round of 16.
Hertha BSC: Schwolow; Klünter (46’ Pekarík), Boyata (C), Stark (58’ Gechter), Mittelstädt; Ascacíbar (75’ Prince), Tousart, Darida (87’ Selke); Richter (46‘ Myziane), Belfodil, Serdar
FC Union: Luthe; Baumgartl, Knoche, Heintz (89‘ Jaeckel); Ryerson (71‘ Trimmel), Khedira, Oczipka; Öztunali (64‘ Haraguchi), Prömel (C); Kruse (71‘ Becker), Voglsammer (64‘ Behrens)
Goals: 0-1 Voglsammer (11‘), 0-2 Stark (O.G, 50‘), 1-2 Serdar (54‘), 1-3 Knoche (55‘), 2-3 Serdar (90+5‘)
Referee: Deniz Aytekin
Yellow cards: Serdar; Öztunali
Attendance: 3,000