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Hertha goalkeeper Marcel Lotka slips the ball through at 0:1
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CLEMENS BILAN v EPO
After three games without defeat, Hertha BSC lost again in the Bundesliga.
Coach Felix Magath's team lost 1-2 (0-1) to FSV Mainz at home, the goals for the 05ers were scored by Stefan Bell and right-back Silvan Widmer - but he benefited from a mistake by Hertha goalkeeper Marcel Lotka .
In his ninth Bundesliga game, Lotka, who is standing in for the injured regular keeper Alexander Schwolow, let Widmer's harmless shot slip through in the near corner.
In the table, the Berliners are four points ahead of Stuttgart on the relegation place.
VfB plays at German champions FC Bayern on Sunday and has to win – otherwise Hertha will be relegated.
Mainz, who can neither be relegated nor qualify for the European Cup, showed a better performance overall and deservedly won.
Davie Selke equalized with a converted penalty in first-half injury time.
Hertha captain Dedryck Boyata had previously been fouled.
Mainz defender Moussa Niakhaté accidentally hit Boyata's heel in the six-yard box, and Bo Svensson's loud protests earned the coach his seventh yellow card of the season.
In the second half, the Berliners held up better in the duels, but Mainz continued to show their more mature system.
At the supposed 1: 2 striker Karim Onisiwo had touched the ball with his hand (52nd).
Lotka made up for his mistake with a brilliant save from Anton Stach's header (75'), but he was unable to avoid the defeat.
After a corner, Bell climbed the highest and headed powerfully into the right corner.
Lotka is supposed to switch to the second team at Borussia Dortmund in the coming season, the transfer had already been announced at the beginning of March.
But now, after Lotka's strong performances in the past few weeks, Hertha want nothing more to do with it and have extended the expiring contract by a year.
Now there is a risk of a legal dispute with BVB.
Reconciliation with the Hertha fans
A few minutes before the last home game of the season kicked off, the Berlin players ended their fan boycott.
After the end of their warm-up program, Hertha jumped over the advertising board and ran to their most loyal supporters in the fully occupied east curve.
There they were greeted with great cheers by the supporters.
There was also loud fan support during the game.
After the previous three Bundesliga games, the Hertha pros had refused to go to the fan curve as usual.
The reason was the action of some supporters after the derby lost 4-1 against 1. FC Union Berlin in April.
At the time, several Ultras had asked the pros to take off their jerseys and put them on the floor in front of the fan curve as a sign of humility.
Magath had already indicated on Friday that there would be a reconciliation.
kra/sid
