Hertha BSC win memorable cup showdown

Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV play out a thrilling cup tie under floodlights at the Olympiastadion. The score was 3:3 after 120 minutes - Hertha won 5:3 in the penalty shoot-out, with goalkeeper Tjark Ernst and attacking player Fabian Reese the main protagonists.

A Fabian Reese in gala form, an internet star on the pitch - and Tjark Ernst as the hero in the penalty shoot-out thriller: on a wild cup evening, Hertha BSC reached the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup for the first time since 2016 and can dream of reaching the final in their own stadium. Coach Pal Dardai's team won a memorable round of 16 tie against Hamburger SV 5:3 on penalties.

Ernst became the man of the evening in the duel from the spot when he saved Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer's shot. Reese made everything clear with the last shot. After 120 minutes, the score was 3:3 (2:2, 1:2) after Reese (21st, 90th) and Jonjoe Kenny (120th) had scored for Hertha and Immanuel Pherai (31st), Laszlo Benes (43rd) and Königsdörffer (102nd) for HSV.

It is already Hertha's most successful cup run since the 2015/2016 season, when the Berliners only lost to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals. The dream of reaching the final at home in the Olympic Stadium on May 25 of next year is alive and well. Only the second team in 1993 had previously been granted this honor, when the then regional league team lost 0:1 to Bayer Leverkusen.

"It's a cream Wednesday, a top match"

"It's a cream Wednesday, a top match," said Hertha coach Pal Dardai in the run-up to the game: "It's top or bottom." And the Berlin fans set the tone right away by setting off fireworks in the east curve before kick-off, sending sparks flying. The fiery atmosphere was only transferred to the pitch at a leisurely pace.

The visitors only occasionally combined well in front of goal before getting stuck on a Berlin leg - and Hertha? The large amount of possession initially led to little danger until Reese turned up the heat. When the Hamburgers unhappily cleared a cross from Florian Niederlechner, the Kiel-born player shot first against the post and then into the net.

At this stage, it took an individual action for the reply, as the Hertha defense had defended all efforts compactly up to that point. Pherai, who had previously failed to beat Hertha goalkeeper Tjark Ernst, this time gave the goalkeeper no chance with his shot from 25 meters. Suddenly HSV were awake! After a cross from Andras Nemeth, Benes (41) first shot just wide before he only had to dust it off two minutes later. Ernst had allowed a cross from Levin Öztunali to be deflected at Benes' feet.

Internet star Nader El-Jindaoui celebrates his professional debut

After the break, the second half started with much more momentum than the first. Benes surprised Berlin, who remained agile through Reese, with a corner to the post (49'). The 26-year-old center forward Haris Tabakovic (52') found his congenial partner with a beautiful cross from outside the box, but he was denied by Hamburg's cup keeper Matheo Raab. The substitute for the number one Daniel Heuer Fernandes even cleared with his head when Reese (64) tried from an acute angle.

For the final spurt, Dardai brought on internet star Nader El-Jindaoui, who was making his professional debut. The attacking player, who is followed by millions of people online, was substituted in the 80th minute. It was Reese who saved Hertha in extra time. There, Königsdörffer put the visitors back in front. But in the final minute of extra time, Kenny struck and forced the decision from the spot.

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Hertha BSC's impressive run in the DFB Cup continues under Pal Dardai's guidance, as they overcame Hamburger SV in a nail-biting penalty shootout to advance to the quarter-finals. The decisive moment came when Tjark Ernst saved Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer's shot for HSV, setting the stage for Fabian Reese to clinch the victory with the final penalty kick.

Despite a strong performance from Attacking player Fabian Reese, the DFB Cup encounter between Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV was tough, with both sides showing resilience. Ultimately, Hertha BSC's coach Pal Dardai led his team to a hard-fought victory, setting them up for a potential final appearance at their home Olympiastadion in May 2023.

Source: www.ntv.de