Thanks to Haris Tabakovic, Hertha BSC won against SC Paderborn in the 2nd Bundesliga – and he was more than happy.
At the start of the 28th matchday it was 3:2 for the guests. In front of 15,000 spectators in the sold-out arena, Raphael Obermair (16th minute) and Visar Musliu (60th) scored for Paderborn, Aymen Barkok (17th), Bilal Hussein (84th) and Haris Tabakovic (90th) scored the goals for Berlin.
To the live ticker: Paderborn – Hertha Arrow right 28th matchday Arrow right
In the table, the Hertha team has at least temporarily improved to sixth place with 41 points, while the Paderborn team, who have now been winless for five games, are in ninth place with 39 points.
“We had a bit of luck at the end, but we worked very hard for our luck,” said Hertha’s coach Pal Dardai on the ARD microphone after the game: “The first half wasn’t good. With the substitutions came new momentum. After the equalizer, the opponent wasn’t happy with the draw. We had room.” They “won badly,” said Hertha’s Fabian Reese.
Paderborn’s Obermair hits the corner
The initial phase belonged to the Paderborn team. Coach Lukas Kwasniok’s team played cheerfully forward and after just nine minutes the ball was in the Berlin goal. Sirlord Conteh went up and down the right wing and played the ball flat and hard in front of the goal. Jonjoe Kenny was there and scored into his own net, but Conteh was offside when he passed the ball to him.
A short time later, Hertha were lucky again when Calvin Brackelmann hit a free kick from 16 meters onto the underside of the crossbar. Goalkeeper Marius Gersbeck was happy that the ball clearly didn’t go over the line from there.
But a little later he had to reach behind himself. There was another free kick for Paderborn, and Raphael Obermair curled it into the corner from 25 meters on the left.
Hertha equalizes, Paderborn hits the woodwork again
Hertha shook itself and struck back a minute later. Kai Klefisch took the ball in midfield, Palko Dardai first drove it forward and then passed it to Aymane Barkok, who only had to push it in from a good seven meters.
Paderborn needed a few minutes to recover from the equalizer and then turned things around again. First, Conteh appeared free in front of the Berlin goal after a long pass, but then lofted the ball over the box. And then the SCP failed again because of the aluminum. After a corner, Visar Musliu headed the ball onto the top edge of the crossbar. Hertha were therefore well served with the 1-1 score at the break.
The hosts came out of the locker room better. After a cross from Conteh, Sebastian Klaas failed to put the ball in the goal from five meters. In the 60th minute, Musliu did better, the defender heading in from a corner. It was simply poorly defended by Hertha.
Game play turned upside down
When everything looked like Paderborn would win, Hertha struck mercilessly. In the hectic final phase, first Hussein and then Tabakovic scored, turning the game on its head and keeping the slim hope of promotion alive.
Paderborn against KSC, Hertha welcomes Rostock
SC Paderborn will play again at home on the next match day and await Karlsruher SC on Saturday (April 13, 2024, 6 p.m.), while Hertha has to play against Hansa Rostock a day earlier (6:30 p.m.).