Eintracht Braunschweig and Hertha Berlin met in the third round of the 2. Bundesliga on Friday evening, with the visitors claiming a 5:3 victory at the Eintracht-Stadion. The result keeps Hertha's perfect start intact while leaving Braunschweig third from bottom after three matches. To be fair, neither side arrived without recent results to live up to. Hertha had drawn with Saarbrücken before winning four of their previous five outings. Braunschweig's form has been patchier, including a heavy defeat away to Union Berlin.
Yannik Sturm opened the scoring in the ninth minute, giving Braunschweig an early advantage. Kevin Ehlers doubled the home side's lead before half-time with a well-taken goal in the 33rd minute. Hertha responded quickly, with Jón Dagur Þórsteinsson pulling one back just before the break. Josip Brekalo then equalised in the 45th minute, and the momentum had shifted by then. Braunschweig made two changes at the interval, bringing on S. Di Benedetto and M. Entrup.
The second half opened with an own goal from Ehlers in the 53rd minute, sending Hertha ahead for the first time. Niklas Kolbe won a penalty after a VAR review in the 66th minute, and Brekalo converted calmly from the spot. Hertha were still not done, with Oluwaseun Adewumi adding a fifth in the 87th minute. Jan Urbich grabbed a late consolation for Braunschweig in the 88th minute, but the damage was done. The home side had been left flat-footed by the pace of the visitors' attack.
Hertha dominated possession with 54 per cent and created more clear-cut opportunities, registering 3.6 expected goals to Braunschweig's 2.6. The visitors registered 12 corners against five, and their 98 attacks compared with 77 showed a more sustained pressure. Braunschweig had more shots on target, nine to six, but Hertha's efficiency proved decisive. The visitors' defensive work was also more thorough, with 25 clearances against 24.
The result extends Hertha's run of three wins from three matches, moving them to the top of the table on nine points. Braunschweig remain in ninth with just three points from their opening three fixtures. The gap between the sides is now six points, and the visitors have opened talks for a summer transfer window. Hertha's perfect start suggests they will push for promotion, while Braunschweig face a long season ahead.
