Turbulent debut for Tayfun Korkut: In the first game as coach of Hertha BSC there was a 2: 2 (1: 2) at VfB Stuttgart.
Tayfun Korkut clenched his fist in relief when the final whistle sounded after a turbulent debut for the new Hertha coach. After a brave comeback at VfB Stuttgart, his team earned a deserved 2: 2 (1: 2) thanks to one-two packer Stevan Jovetic and thus scored an important point in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga.
“A big compliment to the team for how they continued to play after the 2-0 draw,” said the 47-year-old after the ghost game DAZNBut he didn’t really like the result: “If we had scored three points, it wouldn’t have been undeserved. But we can be satisfied for now. Now it’s a matter of taking the next steps.”
In fact, when he returned to his hometown and to his ex-club, Korkut missed the hoped-for liberation – for the Berliners it was the fifth game in a row without a win. With 15 points after 14 match days, Hertha is only two points ahead of the relegation place in 14th place.
VfB is also stuck in the relegation battle with 14 points. “That was very annoying,” said Philipp Förster: “We started well, but gave up the game.”
Hertha gets a draw on Korkut’s debut thanks to Jovetic
The Swabians developed a pleasant lead early on with a double strike by Omar Marmoush (15th) and Förster (19th). But Jovetic equalized with a fantastic flick in the corner (40th) and a shot from close range (76th).
Korkut had to do without central midfielders Lucas Tousart and Suat Serdar on his comeback in the dugout after more than three years. Tousart had tested positive for the corona virus before the game, Serdar was sick.
After only two points in the previous four league games, Korkut should bring the “Big City Club” back on track as the successor to Pal Dardai. Hertha started with a committed 4-4-2 system and got their first good chance with a shot from Ishak Belfodil from a tight angle (4th). But then VfB took command, and Korkut’s commands to his defense could be heard clearly.
Hertha: An earlier Belfodil hit doesn’t count
It did not help. Hertha let itself be countered, after a dream pass from Waldemar Anton Marmoush ignited the turbo and stayed ice cold against Alexander Schwolow in the Hertha goal. Shortly thereafter, the Berlin defense let Förster go halfway across the field, the Stuttgart player hit the right corner from 18 meters.
Korkut stood on the sidelines in a fine thread and tried to motivate his eleven with nonstop gesticulating wildly. With success. First a Belfodil goal was rightly denied, as Vladimir Darida blocked the view of VfB goalkeeper Florian Müller in an offside position, then Jovetic scored untenable from a similar position.
After the break, an open game developed, but good opportunities for the Korkut-Elf were in short supply. Jovetic had the best chance, whose direct free kick was defused by Müller with a brilliant save (74th). Shortly afterwards he was spot-on based on the ideal Belfodil template.
Pellegrino Matarazzo (VfB Stuttgart): “We got into the game very well. We deservedly took the 2-0 lead, and then there was a break in our game. What a shame, we could have done more today.”
Tayfun Korkut (Hertha BSC): “I have to give the team a huge compliment for the whole week. Coming back in a game like this is not easy either. That was really very special. It’s not a big step, but a small step. We can go along with it Live at the start. We got a point, that’s the first step. “
