KSC spoils the climbing game
Hertha BSC has to be angry after the friendship summit
November 11, 2023, 10:34 p.m
Fans and officials from Hertha BSC and Karlsruher SC celebrate their friendship at the game between the two teams in the 2nd Bundesliga. But on the pitch there are important points at stake. They are then shared late in a close game. The hosts must be annoyed.
Hertha BSC is standing still in the second division and has lost touch with the upper regions of the table for the time being. The Berliners couldn’t get past a 2-2 (2-1) draw against Karlsruher SC in their Olympic Stadium. In front of 58,851 spectators, an own goal from Deyovaisio Zeefuik (10th minute) put the guests in the lead. Fabian Reese (29th) and Florian Niederlechner (42nd) scored for Hertha before Leon Jensen (81st) equalized.
It was the second draw in a row for the capital club, who remain in twelfth place in the table. By winning points, KSC pushed Schalke 04 into relegation place 16.
The decades-long fan friendship between the two clubs was celebrated in an atmospheric way before the game. Even before kick-off, the fans are in each other’s arms, and during the game they belt out “No one can separate good friends”: The second division game between Hertha BSC and Karlsruher SC is a special one. The presidents of both traditional clubs also exchange jerseys before the game.
But while the fans didn’t want to let the late goal dampen their spirits too much, those responsible for the sport were likely to be annoyed by the somewhat carelessly wasted opportunity to make a big jump in the table: with a win, the team, who had started the season weakly, would be relegated at least climbed to eighth place – and would have placed itself well in the field of promotion aspirants.
The initial phase clearly belonged to the guests. Lars Stindl prevailed in the penalty area after a corner and pulled the ball sharply into the six-meter area. Zeefuik’s attempt to clear the ball landed in his own goal. Hertha had a hard time on the offensive against Karlsruhe’s high attack, but the first successful attack brought the equalizer. Marton Dardai found Reese with a great opening pass between the lines. The ball came back down the wing to the 25-year-old, who headed it in from a difficult position.
Shortly before the break, KSC keeper Patrick Drewes was unable to consistently clear a corner. Hertha striker Haris Tabakovic acrobatically played the ball with a heel just in front of the goal, where Niederlechner scored with his head. Reese (61′), Tabakovic (78′) and Klemens (79′) missed the decision from the best positions in the second half, but KSC also remained dangerous. Substitute Jensen’s double deflected shot brought about a draw.