SV Werder won their first point of the season after a 1-1 draw with Hertha BSC. In a very tactical encounter, the hosts went in front towards the end of the first half through Mathew Leckie (38’) before Thomas Delaney leveled the scores just shy of the hour mark (59’).
Line-up and formation: Six Green-White internationals returned from their travels across Europe to take their place in the starting line-up on Bundesliga matchday three. Werder head coach Alexander Nouri named the same team which started the first away game of the season in Hoffenheim. The back three of Veljkovic, Sané and Bauer played in front of Pavlenka with Augustinsson and Gebre Selassie on the wings. In midfield, Denmark’s Thomas Delaney, fresh from his four goals during the international break, wore the captain’s armband and he was supported by Florian Kainz and Maximilian Eggestein. Fin Bartels and Max Kruse played up top. There was attacking firepower amongst the substitutes with new signing Ishak Belfodil and Izet Hajrović back from injury ready to make an impact from the bench.
4th Minute: First clear chance for Werder from a corner. Bartels crosses the second ball in from the right-hand side to the far post where unmarked Kainz volleys the ball from the penalty spot. The ball bounces in front of the keeper and Jarstein does extremely well to tip the ball over the bar. The second corner comes to nothing.
6th minute: At the other end, Pavlenka shows he’s in no way inferior to Jarstein. Niklas Stark meets a Plattenhardt free-kick with his head and the Czech man pushes the ball behind with quick reflexes. In the end, referee Bibiana Steinhaus, making her Bundesliga debut, blew up for offside against the Hertha defender but that shouldn’t take anything away from Pavlenka’s brilliant stop. A lively start at the Olympiastadion.
21st minute: After a period of calm, Werder’s first chance from open play falls to Delaney. Bartels nutmegs Plattenhardt at the byline and plays in the Dane in space but his right-footed shot is too weak to trouble the Hertha keeper.
38th minute: Goal for Hertha Berlin. Bauer loses the ball in the Werder half to Ibisevic. Hertha’s captain plays in Darida, who falls to the ground under a challenge from Veljkovic. Instead of giving a free-kick however, Steinhaus plays advantage which Mathew Leckie accepts with glee, firing home under Pavlenka’s legs to make it 1-0. It was Hertha’s first shot on target.
45th minute: Half time in the capital. The ‘Old Lady’ goes into the break 1-0 up. A lapse in concentration from the Green-White defence allows Mathew Leckie to score for the hosts. Until going behind, Werder were playing good football and were set up well. In the second half, Alexander Nouri’s men have to be more courageous.
48th minute: Hertha come out of the blocks firing, putting pressure on the Werder defence. Langkamp tries from range and it comes off a Werder leg to give Hertha their third second-half corner in quick succession.
59th minute: GOOAAAAL for Werder! And who else could it be to score the Green-Whites’ first goal of the season but Thomas Delaney! Hertha fail to clear a high ball then Delaney takes it down, lobs the ball over Stark and finishes coolly - 1-1!
63rd minute: And soon after SVW have a chance to go into the lead: Bartels is played through by Kruse and Rekik cannot catch him. Werder’s number 22 aims for the far corner but Jarstein dives and keeps the ball out.
76th minute: In the space of two minutes, two Hertha players have penalty appeals waved away. After assistance from the linesmen, both Stocker and Ibisevic are denied spot-kicks.
77th minute: The blue and whites get another goalscoring chance from a corner. Stocker, the substitute, volleys the corner from 18 yards but Pavlenka saw the shot all the way and keeps it in his grasp.
80th minute: The tempo rises again. A long-range effort from Delaney is too central and claimed by Jarstein.
90th minute: A new Werder striker takes to the field for the first time in the form of Ishak Belfodil but it was Max Kruse who had the chance to clinch the victory. Max Kruse curls it from the edge of the area but it flies just wide of the far post. That would have been it…
Summary: Final whistle in Berlin! The spoils are shared in the end between Hertha BSC and SV Werder with the scores ending 1-1. In the first half, Nouri’s boys were set up well and didn’t let in too many chances. And yet Hertha led at the break after Leckie pounced on a half-asleep Werder defence to make it 1-0. After the break, the Green-Whites were more in control and were rewarded for their courage with the equaliser from in-form Thomas Delaney on the hour mark. Both teams lost their defensive shape after the equaliser, with Max Kruse close to scoring the winner in stoppage time.
