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Berlin (dpa) - Dodi Lukebakio kept his nerve and gave Hertha BSC the longed-for victory in the relegation battle.
The Belgian converted a penalty kick against FC Augsburg in the 88th minute to make it 2-1 (0-1).
Against Pal Dardai's favorite opponent, the Berlin team managed to win again in the Bundesliga after nine unsuccessful attempts, as clearly demanded by the coach, and have more room in the relegation battle.
Hertha striker Krzystof Piatek (62nd minute) had previously offset the early Augsburg lead from Laszlo Benes (2nd).
While Hertha can hardly fall to the relegation rank, at least this weekend, the Augsburgers, who are ultimately too passive, missed the possibly decisive step in the relegation battle.
"Today is a game that we have to win, then we are on the right track," Hertha coach Dardai had underlined his three-point demand shortly before kick-off.
After 110 seconds the good mood was gone again.
Deyovaisio Zeefuik let himself be taken by surprise by André Hahn at the corner of the penalty area.
Benes shot flat into the corner.
Dardai would have loved to make a football 911 call.
His smile at the edge of the page seemed a bit fatalistic right at the beginning of what he had declared a “must-play” appearance.
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With Santiago Ascacibar for Sami Khedira, who was injured in the calf, in midfield and Jhon Cordoba and Piatek as double top, the Berlin team determined the game after a short period of shock.
Cordoba (12th) tested the good Rafal Gikiewicz in the Augsburger Tor from an acute angle.
More problematic for the Pole was a shot from Ascacibar (21st) from the edge of the penalty area.
From his outstretched foot, however, the ball ultimately flew high over the goal.
Berlin has been missing the consistency in closing for weeks.
Augsburg almost increased it through Florian Niederlechner (38th).
His header hit the post.
«We have a lot of ball contact, but that doesn't help us.
At the front we are mostly too harmless, at the back we get simple goals, ”complained sports director Arne Friedrich during the break at Sky.
He sounded a little perplexed.
The situation is difficult to explain.
"We have been telling the same thing for weeks."
For Cordoba and Piatek, the astonishing bad luck for strikers continued for the time being.
Gikiewicz parried a shot by the Colombian (46th).
The Pole (50th) just missed the goal from close range.
But Hertha did not give up anymore.
Attack after attack was carried forward towards the Augsburger Tor.
And after an hour Piatek headed the ball for the this time powerless Gikiewicz.
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Lukebakio then took on responsibility late and safely shot the penalty after a foul by Mads Pedersen on Lucas Tousart.
Dardai remained unbeaten in the tenth game as a coach against Augsburg.
More important than the series was the first victory of his second coaching tenure at Hertha for the Hungarian.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210306-99-716339 / 2
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