Krzysztof Piatek spot on to earn Hertha Berlin a draw at RB Leipzig

Hertha Berlin extended their unbeaten record under Bruno Labbadia with Krzysztof Piatek’s penalty earning them a 2-2 draw at ten-man RB Leipzig, after Lukas Klostermann and Patrik Schick had cancelled out Marko Grujic’s opener.

RB Leipzig 2-2 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Grujic (9′), 1-1 Klostermann (24′), 2-1 Schick (68′), 2-2 Piatek (pen. 82′)
Red card: Halstenberg (63′)

True to form since the recent Bundesliga restart, it was the away team who gained the upper hand early on. Grujic stole in ahead of an immobile Dayot Upamecano to volley Marvin Plattenhardt’s corner past Peter Gulacsi, steering in Hertha’s eighth goal in not even 200 minutes since Labbadia took charge. That proved to be Plattenhardt’s final involvement of the game, though, with injury forcing him to abandon proceedings and Labbadia to shuffle his defensive pack. They had not fully regrouped when another corner brought Leipzig’s equaliser, with Christopher Nkunku’s cross met by Klostermann’s header, which kissed the inside of the far post on its way in. Hertha wasted a chance to regain the lead just before the break when Vedad Ibisevic fired over from a promising position, leaving it honours even at half-time.

Leipzig made a bright start to the second half, but all the progress they appeared to be making was stalled when Marcel Halstenberg fouled his former teammate Matheus Cunha and saw his second yellow card of the evening. Substitute Ademola Lookman stepped into the breach and, shortly after he had a shot blocked, the ball fell for Schick to test Rune Jarstein, and the last line of the Hertha defence fumbled his effort into the back of his own goal. Just after Leipzig withdrew Timo Werner and Schick to defend their lead, Lookman committed a foul on Cunha inside the penalty area which handed Berlin a lifeline. Piatek took it, converting his second penalty in the Bundesliga to earn Hertha a draw and extend Labbadia’s unbeaten record in charge to three games.

Match stats
Grujic’s goal was his first in 2020, and Hertha’s earliest goal of the season so far.
Klostermann’s ninth Bundesliga goal was the first he has scored with his head.
Schick scored his fifth straight goal at home, after previously netting three times on the road.
Both of Piatek’s Bundesliga goals have come from the penalty spot.
Nagelsmann’s team have scored more goals (70) than they managed across last season in its entirety (63), breaking their club-record 66-goal return of 2016/17.

Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Adams, Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg – Laimer, Sabitzer – Nkunku (Angelino 66′), Werner (Wolf 79′), Olmo (Lookman 58′) – Schick (Orban 79′)
Unused subs: Mvogo, Haidara, Forsberg, Mukiele
Out: Ampadu (back), Kampl (muscular), Konate (hamstring), Poulsen (ankle)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

Hertha: Jarstein – Pekarik, Boyata, Torunarigha, Plattenhardt (Mittelstädt 11′) – Skjelbred (Maier 77′), Grujic – Lukebakio (Dilrosun 71′), Darida (Piatek 71′), Cunha – Ibisevic (c) (Ngankam 78′)
Unused subs: Smarsch, Klünter, Dardai, Samardzic
Out: Ascacibar (foot), Kalou (not included), Kraft (knock), Rekik (knee), Stark (groin), Wolf (match fitness)
Coach: Bruno Labbadia

Source: Bundesliga