fan-Protests against the planned investorsdeal The DFL almost provoked the cancellation of the second division game Hertha BSC against Hamburg on Saturday evening (February 3, 2024). HSV scored points in terms of sport.
The sporty side in Hamburg’s 2-1 (0-0) victory with goals from Miro Muheim (57th minute) and Ludovit Reis (82nd) as well as Berlin’s Haris Tabakovic (62nd) almost became a minor matter. This second division game will go down in history because of the protest by Berlin supporters against the DFL’s investor plans, which resulted in a 32-minute interruption of the game. Seven minutes had been played in the second half when the Berliners fans kept throwing tennis balls onto the court. In the meantime, referee Daniel Schlager consulted the two coaches Pal Dardei and Tim Walter. The stadium announcer tried to calm the Hertha supporters: “Your message has arrived.” Without success. Then Dardei tried to talk to the supporters in the east curve, also without results.
Finally he sent Referee After 20 minutes the teams left the field. Only after an interruption of more than half an hour did the score continue at 0-0. If tennis balls had flown onto the grass again afterwards, the referee would have stopped the game.
Both teams had to cope with hardships – Hertha also had to cope with the sudden death of their president Kay Bernstein and, in sporting terms, the 3-1 defeat in the DFB Cup quarter-finals against Kaiserslautern, and HSV had to deal with the 3-4 home defeat against Karlsruher SC in the league. Things started in Berlin with a slight delay because clouds of smoke blocked the view of the pitch.
Monster double chance for HSV
The Hamburg team got into the game better. It was right in the first minute Bakery Jatta cleared the ball on the right in the penalty area, but he didn’t put enough pressure behind his shot, Berlin goalkeeper Tjark Ernst kept the ball safe. After several set pieces, HSV had a monster double chance to take the lead in the 17th minute. First headed Andras Nemeth The ball hit the crossbar from close range after a cross from Immanuël Pherai, and László Bénes’ follow-up shot was cleared by Florian Niederlechner on the line.
In the 26th minute there was a first short interruption because of hamburgers fans Throwing tennis balls onto the court. Line judge Sven Waschitzki-Günther (31st) also needs a new flag. After the small irregularities, the Hanseatic League continued to have the upper hand in the game, which was characterized by set pieces, and the unimaginative Berliners couldn’t do anything offensively.
Tabakovic hits the post
Hertha almost used their first real good chance to take the lead. After Niederlechner’s cross, Haris Tabakovic (42′) headed the ball from ten meters onto the right post; Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes would have been powerless. On the other side sat Nemeth as a result of a corner just next to the right post. HSV was clearly the better team in the first round. Weak point: He couldn’t convert the superiority into something countable.
HSV more effective after interruption
Hamburger SV also started the second half as the more active team. As the Berliners prepared to become more courageous offensively, their own tennis ball protest began fans. When football could be played again a good half hour later, HSV scored once with a long-range shot from Muheim from 18 meters – Hertha’s goalkeeper Ernst looked unhappy. Five minutes later, Tabakovic scored Berlin’s equalizer after a long-range shot from substitute Fabian Reese.
Both teams continued to play forward and look for a finish. HSV made this more effective. After a cross from Pherai, Reis, who had recently been substituted, headed HSV to victory eight minutes before the end of regular time, which moved them back up to second place in the table. Hertha is languishing in midfield. However, the interruption in the game will certainly provide more topic of conversation, which raises the question of how far fan-Protests against the DFL are allowed to take place.
Hertha in Fürth, HSV against Hannover
Hertha continues on Carnival Sunday (February 11, 2024, 1:30 p.m.) at SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Hamburg already faces Hannover 96 two days earlier at 6:30 p.m.