Hertha Berlin maintained its perfect start to the Bundesliga 2 season with a thrilling 5-3 away victory at Eintracht Braunschweig.
The Berlin side, managed by Pal Dardai, came from two goals down to secure all three points in an eight-goal thriller. This win keeps Hertha top of the table with a maximum nine points from three matches.
Eintracht Braunschweig took an early two-goal lead. Yann Sturm opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with Kevin Ehlers doubling the advantage in the 33rd. Hertha fought back before halftime. Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson pulled one back in the 44th minute, and Josip Brekalo equalized in the fourth minute of stoppage time to make it 2-2 at the break.
The second half belonged to Hertha. An own goal from Kevin Ehlers in the 53rd minute put the visitors ahead for the first time. Josip Brekalo converted a penalty in the 69th minute to extend the lead to 4-2. Substitute Oluwaseun Victor Adewumi seemed to seal the win with a goal in the 87th minute. Yann Urbich scored a consolation for Braunschweig in the 88th, but Hertha saw out the remaining minutes to claim the victory.
Josip Brekalo was the decisive figure for Hertha Berlin with his brace. The Croatian forward scored the key equalizer just before halftime and calmly converted the second-half penalty. Jón Dagur Þorsteinsson also played a vital role with his goal that began the comeback. The defense had to stabilize after the early setbacks. Our full squad overview lists all current players.
For Eintracht Braunschweig, Yann Sturm and Kevin Ehlers started strongly with their early goals. However, Ehlers' own goal after halftime proved a turning point. Daniel Scherning's team couldn't maintain their initial dominance throughout the full ninety minutes.
Other notable results occurred on the third matchday. Newly promoted VfL Osnabrück celebrated its first win of the season. Ismail Badjie scored in the 4th minute for a 1-0 victory over VfL Bochum. Adrian Beck had a goal disallowed for offside for Osnabrück, while Philipp Hofmann hit the crossbar with a header for Bochum.
Important fixtures remain on Saturday. 1. FC Nuremberg, also with a perfect record, faces Arminia Bielefeld under manager Miroslav Klose. Energie Cottbus hosts Greuther Fürth. All upcoming Bundesliga 2 matches are listed in our fixtures calendar.
A third consecutive victory confirms Hertha Berlin's strong start to the season. The team has shown attacking quality and resilience, though defensive vulnerabilities were also evident. With nine points, Hertha leads the table and sends a clear message in the promotion race.
The next challenge arrives next weekend. Hertha must build on this positive run and analyze the mistakes made in Braunschweig. The team has proven it can respond under pressure. Now the task is to consolidate this form.
