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Hertha gambled away a tour
Photo: ANNEGRET HILSE / REUTERS
Long led, but then not won: Hertha BSC did not get beyond a 1: 1 (1: 0) against Bayer Leverkusen against Bayer Leverkusen.
In the constant rain in the capital, Stevan Jovetić scored the opening goal (42nd minute), Robert Andrich equalized late (90th).
Hertha showed against Leverkusen, above all with physicality and quick switching behavior, why things went better after the botched start of the season in recent weeks: sometimes the Leverkusen player was put under pressure by four Berliners at the same time - without creating dangerous spaces elsewhere.
And when the Berliners won the ball, like Suat Serdar in the 24th minute in midfield against Exequiel Palacios, things went straight forward: Serdar sent Marco Richter, who failed at keeper Lukas Hradecky from an acute angle.
Andrich's first hit denied
Leverkusen repeatedly came dangerously into the penalty area over the wings, but a goal by Robert Andrich was denied because the ball had already passed the outer goal line during Amine Adli's preparatory work (26th).
But Leverkusen's problem was that they lost the important duels: As before the lead by Stevan Jovetić, when Maximilian Mittelstädt won a header duel against Palacios and the ball jumped to Jovetić, who turned on the edge of the box with the first contact and the ball with the second Contact shot beautifully in the left corner (42nd).
Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane made an offensive change in the second half and brought in the two 16-year-olds Iker Bravo and Zidan Sertdemir after the Europa League week.
And Leverkusen actually equalized: After a free kick from the right half-field, the substitute Odilon Koussounou put on for Andrich, who scored (90th).
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