Hertha Berlin Vs. FC Nürnberg: Full Time, Visitors Spoil Hertha’s Bundesliga Debut With 1-0 Win

Nürnberg didn’t play the prettiest brand of football against Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but they played a hard-working and physical enough style to deny Hertha and create one goal for themselves, as they won 1-0.

The hosts were looking for a great return to the Bundesliga in front of a massive crowd in Berlin, but based on their performance Saturday they will do well to simply stay in the league. They were respectable defensively and looked threatening on set pieces on a couple of occasions, but offered very little going forward with the run of play.

Tomas Pekhart was the man who scored the winner, netting a goal on his debut. The former Tottenham Hotspur, Baumit Jablonec and Sparta Prague man was a stunning youth prospect who has yet to live up to his promise at the senior level, but a debut goal is certainly a good sign for the towering Czech Republic international. Jens Hegeler was the man who created the chance, getting to the byline before cutting the ball back for Pekhart, who finished. The winner was not without controversy, though, as Hegeler was extremely close to taking the ball over the endline before hitting his pass.

Both teams have a lot of work left to do to achieve their goals in the Bundesliga this season, but Nürnberg will be happy with their three points. Oh, and a bit of a note for fans of the United States: Timmy Chandler, who was pulled out of the USMNT squad with an ‘injury’, ran about 10 kilometers today. Including an 80 meter sprint in stoppage time. Make of that what you will.