- Hertha secures the victory in the heated contest.
What does Florian Niederlechner take away from Hertha's challenging first league victory? The striker had a straightforward response following the 2:0 (0:0) triumph against Jahn Regensburg. "Three points are crucial for us, absolutely essential," said the 33-year-old. "We all know the consequences of just drawing today, having only two points from the first three matches."
The triumph in Rostburg's cup match and four points from three games has given Hertha a positive start in the 2. Bundesliga. "It boosts our confidence, even in this new playing system," acknowledged Niederlechner, who was the scorer of the 2:0 in extra time.
Hertha experienced difficulties in their initial game without Haris Tabakovic, who moved up to the Bundesliga. "We could see the impact of the heat around the 20th or 25th minute during the drinks break, and again at halftime," said sports director Benjamin Weber on the influence of the high temperature.
Hertha leverages numerical superiority
Star youngster Ibrahim Maza, who has been an essential figure for Hertha in the early stages of the season, scored the opener in the 90th minute. His narrow-angle shot deflected off Regensburg keeper Felix Gebhardt into the net, conceding an own goal.
Hertha also benefited from a numeric advantage when Mansour Ouro-Tagba, Regensburg's substitute, received a red card for a foul on Niederlechner (76.). "Luck was on our side today, but we've earned that bit of luck over time," explained coach Cristian Fiel.
The promising start lost momentum
Fiel chose new signing Luca Schuler to fill Tabakovic's position. The youngster nearly overshadowed his predecessor within the first five minutes, in front of 42,355 spectators at the Olympiastadion. With a good challenge in the penalty area, he missed the opportunity, shooting the ball well over the goal.
"From an outsider's view, it's simple. Just take your time and score. But it wasn't meant to be today," defended Fiel his player. "He's gifted, and there's plenty to look forward to with him."
Regensburg seized their opportunities
The hosts started well with pressing and passing, but then their performance deteriorated. Regensburg utilized this deterioration by creating chances after counter-attacks. Dominik Kother missed a goal after a fine individual move (21.), while Christian Kühlwetter almost scored the lead following a Hertha blunder (36).
In the second half, both sides struggled with penetration. Initially, Fiel's triple substitutions did not yield results, until Maza scored the decisive goal following a brilliant combination, and Niederlechner sealed the victory with a powerful shot.
The following is added to Hertha's victory analysis: "Furthermore, Hertha was also aided by a second-half red card to Regensburg's Mansour Ouro-Tagba, which gave them an advantage."
In the context of the following statement, the phrase 'The following is added:' indicates that additional information is being provided, expanding on the topic of Hertha's 2:0 victory. This additional information emphasizes the impact of Ouro-Tagba's dismissal on the game, suggesting that Hertha's numerical superiority played a significant role in securing the win.
