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Berlin (AP) - With a risky nine-player rotation, Pal Dardai has led Hertha BSC from the relegation ranks in the Bundesliga.
The Berliners celebrated a 3-0 (2-0) victory in the back-up match of the 30th matchday against SC Freiburg, but may have to do without a very important player in the full remaining program.
Only three days after the 1-1 draw at FSV Mainz 05, the capital club presented itself as a team, highly concentrated and, above all, mercilessly effective, despite the serious changes.
Krzysztof Piatek in the 13th minute and nine minutes later Peter Pekarik scored the goals, thanks to which the Herthaners climbed from 17th to 14th place and robbed the guests of the remaining hopes for Europe with the fourth away defeat in a row.
Nemanja Radonjic (85th) finished with his first Bundesliga goal.
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Dardai had announced in advance that he would think about the line-up and make a decision at breakfast on game day. What came out surprised, regardless of the concentrated remaining program of the Herthaners after a two-week quarantine as a result of several corona cases: Dardai almost completely swapped his team, apart from goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow and driver Mattéo Guendouzi, compared to the point win in Mainz - the first of a total of three catch-up games.
"That is not that bad. It's also such a good line-up, "said Dardai with a slightly mischievous grin on the DAZN streaming service before it started in the empty Olympic Stadium. The 45-year-old Hungarian did not want to take the risk that his players would develop muscle problems and therefore did without some well-known regulars. Top or flop - the plan worked completely. Freiburg initially took control of the ball, but the Breisgauers hardly posed any danger. Schwolow had to intervene once, otherwise coach Christian Streich's team remained harmless.
The Hertha-Elf, also tactically re-formed with a four-man defensive chain, gained security with every minute, initially played more carefully than risky.
When Jordan Torunarigha pulled from about 20 meters it was the first shot on goal, Florian Müller could only clap in the SC goal, Piatek was there for the stab.
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With the 1-0 lead for the Berliners, who could not tell from the unrest caused by the racism scandal surrounding Jens Lehmann and his dismissal as a member of the supervisory board of the professional department, it was not yet done.
Second chance, second goal.
This time Nemanja Radonjic prevailed on the left attacking side and crossed in the middle on the head of Pekarik.
Streich, who until then had a strong record with Freiburg against Hertha with six wins and six draws with only two defeats, was quite incredulous. "That was a sovereign performance," praised Berlin's sports director Arne Friedrich during the break at DAZN. Nine bills are already "a board".
The fact that Guendouzi injured himself before the break and had to leave the pitch with a suspected metatarsal fracture clouded the Hertha evening.
For the 22-year-old Frenchman, Sami Khedira was at least a 2014 world champion. Freiburg pushed a little more after the break, but the Berliners had the better chance, especially through Matheus Cunha.
In the 70 minute he just missed the goal from 13 meters, three minutes later the post was in the way.
Except for the shot by substitute Nils Petersen (74th), nothing more came from the guests in the final phase.
Hertha had the last action through Radonjic, who crowned his solo run.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210506-99-498013 / 2
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Squad SC Freiburg
Squad Hertha BSC
Schedules Hertha BSC