Brekalo penalty in stoppage time gives Hertha 1-0 win over Bielefeld
Second-tier leaders Hertha Berlin stayed unbeaten as captain Josip Brekalo converted a late handball penalty. Magdeburg routed Karlsruhe 6-1.
Archive image · Photo: Frankinho from Berlin, Germany / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Hertha Berlin protected their lead in Germany's second division with a late 1-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday. Captain Josip Brekalo scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Bielefeld defender Maximilian Grosser handled the ball. Goalkeeper Jonas Kersken got a hand to the shot but could not keep it out. The crowd at Berlin's Olympiastadion was 49,181.
Stefan Leitl's side dominated for long spells but again struggled to finish, as in last week's 0-0 draw at Kiel. Grosser cleared an effort from Sebastian Grønning off the line in the first half, and Kersken denied Oluwaseun Adewumi. Kevin Sessa hit the crossbar with a free kick. Luca Schuler had a goal ruled out in the 85th minute for handball.
Hertha remain unbeaten after nine matches, with eight wins. According to t-online, they now lead fourth-placed Magdeburg by nine points. Magdeburg beat Karlsruher SC 6-1, while Heidenheim and Energie Cottbus drew 1-1. Bielefeld lost for the first time in three games.