Both Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen had to share the spoils on Friday night, but based on the chances the opening game of matchday two in the Bundesliga could have been won by either side.
On a gorgeous Friday evening in Germany’s capital, Hertha Berlin missed out on the chance to make an historic perfect start to the season after the first two matchdays in an entertaining draw against Werder Bremen. Despite taking the lead and making a bright start to both halves, Pal Dardai’s men had to share the spoils in a game that the visitors nearly snatched in the final ten minutes.
After just six minutes, Valentin Stocker smashed the ball into the back of the net after Jens Hegeler’s initial drive had been blocked on the edge of the box. Hertha, buoyed by their start and raucous home fans, looked likely to add another in the opening passage of play. Genki Haraguchi caused all sorts of problems on the right wing for the struggling left back Ulisses Garcia, but Hertha couldn’t find a second goal. Costly it proved as Garcia delivered a troublesome cross that Anthony Ujah reacted to smartly and poked home the equaliser with his first Bundesliga goal for Werder.
Ujah’s goal instantly turned the momentum in Werder’s favor as Hertha took their turn to digest the shock of conceding. After a first half of two halves, the same pattern followed in the second 45 minutes. The hosts started brightly with Stocker twice threatening to score within the first five minutes of the half. The Swiss attacker’s third chance after the restart was the best of the bunch, but he seemed surprised to receive the ball from Peter Pekarik inside the box, allowing Felix Wiedwald to claim the ball.
Once again, after Hertha’s period of control, the visitors were presented with a chance to equalize. A superb pass from substitute Fin Bartels slipped through Ujah, only for the flag to (wrongly) go up and Thomas Kraft to deny him. With time running out, the game opened up as both sides sought a winner. In the space of 88 seconds, Werder twice hit the woodwork but there was to be no winner. Werder picked up their first point of the season, while Hertha remains unbeaten but neither side will be happy to have missed out on victory.
