2. Bundesliga: Last-gasp Winkler winner lifts Hertha to victory in Münster | OneFootball

A Fabian Reese penalty on the stroke of half-time had given the visitors the lead before Jannis Heuer’s early second-half header brought Münster level. With both sides struggling to find a decisive breakthrough thereafter, the match looked destined to end in a draw. However, Marten Winkler had other ideas, sprinting nearly the full length of the pitch in the 94th minute before curling home a superb finish to snatch all three points for Hertha.

The opening stages were largely cagey, with both teams feeling each other out and reluctant to commit too much early on. Hertha fashioned the first real opportunity when Josip Brekalo saw a curling effort drift just wide shortly before the 15-minute mark.

The visitors gradually began to grow into the contest as Münster became increasingly sloppy in possession, inviting pressure from Stefan Leitl’s side. Hertha looked set to waste their momentum as the clock ticked towards the break, until Nikos Koulis was adjudged to have fouled Michael Cuisance in the area following a lengthy VAR check. Reese stepped up in first-half stoppage time and calmly sent Johannes Schenk the wrong way to hand the capital club a 1-0 lead at the interval.

Münster responded immediately after the restart, finding an equaliser just a minute into the second half. Oliver Batista Meier’s corner from the left was delivered perfectly onto the head of Jannis Heuer, who powered his header past Tjark Ernst to make it 1-1.

Heuer remained central to the action as Münster pushed for a second. The defender first found himself unmarked at the back post just before the hour mark but could only fire into the side netting from a tight angle. He then came close again on 71 minutes, collecting a loose rebound inside the area before dragging his effort narrowly wide.

The hosts’ best chance to win the game arrived with ten minutes remaining. Jano ter Horst burst down the right and attempted to whip a cross across the six-yard box, only for the ball to deflect dangerously towards goal. Fortunately for Hertha, Linus Gechter was perfectly positioned to head the ball off the line and keep the scores level.

In the second minute of the four added on, Winkler appeared to have squandered a golden opportunity, missing what looked like an almost open goal. Yet he made amends moments later. After Ernst punched clear a Münster corner, sloppy possession on the edge of the hosts’ area allowed Hertha to break. Winkler collected the ball deep inside his own half and surged forward, driving towards the Münster box before cutting inside and unleashing a fierce curling strike beyond Schenk to spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters and team.

The victory makes it two wins in a row for Hertha, who remain sixth in the table and sit eight points adrift of the top three with nine games remaining. Münster, meanwhile, see their brief winning run halted after one match and remain entrenched in the relegation battle, ending the weekend in 14th place, just one point above the automatic drop zone.