FC Augsburg and Hertha BSC don’t have much in common, but their situation is similar. A lot should get better at both locations after the disappointments of the past few years. But it hadn’t meant too well for them this season either. They found it particularly difficult to score goals. The Augsburgers had only created a few chances, but at least used them consistently with the best odds in the league. The Berliners, on the other hand, often came to conclusions, but on the first four matchdays they had the worst conversion of chances in the league.
It is not surprising that the direct comparison on Sunday was poor for a long time. Hertha won 2-0 (0-0), mainly thanks to Dodi Lukebakio’s header (57′), before former Augsburg player Marco Richter scored the final score in injury time (90’+3′). It was the first win of the season for the Berliners, after five league games they have four points.
“We were finally able to score three points. We’re really happy,” said the substitute judge. The offensive player described his goal as the “icing on the cake”. It was also for him because he had come to the second game after his testicular cancer disease and was now able to celebrate his own goal for the first time. The Augsburgers, on the other hand, were annoyed about the next setback and their harmlessness on the offensive. “We are very disappointed,” said coach Enrico Maaßen, “we didn’t manage to come back after being 1-0 down.” At FCA they are looking back on their worst start in ten years after just three points from five games.
Augsburg is initially more dangerous
It was part of the picture of the course of the season that both managing directors were already busy sharpening the squad at the end of the transfer summer. Hertha’s manager Fredi Bobic looked at the long winter break because of the World Cup in Qatar. His Augsburg colleague Stefan Reuter has already decided to make a short-term correction by loaning striker Mergim Berisha, 24, from Fenerbahce Istanbul. The signing came with the realization that Ricardo Pepi, 19, needs more time to become a dangerous Bundesliga striker. At €16m, the American is by far the most expensive transfer in FCA’s history, but he hasn’t scored a goal since arriving in January. Now he is to continue his acclimatization in Europe as a loan player at FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Berisha, on the other hand, they trust because of his experience at the highest level with six games and four goals in the Champions League at RB Salzburg that he can help FCA immediately. That was initially successful. Berisha was immediately involved in almost all dangerous situations, including his shot at the outside of the post (28th). Shortly before, he had staged his fellow striker Ermedin Demirovic with a through ball. However, Hertha’s Filip Uremovic was the last man to end the attack with a grip, for which he probably would have received a rating in wrestling, but was lucky that Harm Osmers left it with the yellow card. According to the referee, Marvin Plattenhardt, who had run along, could still have intervened.
Offensively, Hertha had at least made two notable deals before the break. But Lukebakio was the first to get the ball on target in the second half, and because his header bounced into the net from the left after Plattenhardt’s cross, the Berliners celebrated their third goal of the season and Lukebakio’s second. Later followed Richter’s first goal after his return. “We’re happy that he’s healthy and can pursue his passion,” said Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz. “We’re happy that we made the mark with Marco’s goal.”