Hoffenheim travelled to the capital enjoying their best seven-game start to a season in five years, and pressed hard for an early strike in the capital. Mu’nas Dabbur tested Oliver Christensen with a driven effort, before the visitors eventually took the lead via a familiar name. Andrej Kramarić has been a prolific scorer in this fixture in the past, and he continued that trend by turning home Ozan Kabak’s wayward shot, netting his 10th career goal against Die Alte Dame.
Against the run of play, Hertha fired back before the break. Turning the ball over in their own half cost André Breitenreiter’s men, as Chidera Ejuke fed Dodi Lukebakio to slide in his third goal of the season. Remarkably, that was the hosts’ eighth strike of the season from open play, keeping them as the only side in the Bundesliga yet to score from a dead-ball situation.
See stats from the match at Flashscore
Neither side appeared willing to take a backward step after HT, with Christoph Baumgartner and Ejuke missing chances after mazy runs for their respective sides. From that point on, the attacking endeavour faded away, with neither goalkeeper finding himself overly troubled, as the game descended into more of a tactical chess match.
Even as the game reached the final 10 minutes, a distinct lack of urgency meant the draw was an inevitable outcome, despite Robert Skov seeing a late winner ruled out for offside and Jonjoe Kenny surviving a penalty call for handball. Though they once again proved difficult to break down, Hertha remain winless on home soil this term, while Hoffenheim remain just three points adrift of the early pace-setters, despite continuing their ponderous ways on hostile turf.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Chidera Ejuke (Hertha Berlin)
