2. Bundesliga Topspiel: Hertha snatch dramatic late victory against Düsseldorf | OneFootball

Stefan Leitl’s side claimed a vital 1-0 victory at the death, as substitute Maurice Krattenmacher’s stoppage-time stunner earned Hertha all three points against a wasteful Fortuna Düsseldorf.

It was Markus Anfang’s visitors who started on the front foot, controlling possession and piling pressure on the hosts throughout the first half. Hertha struggled to find rhythm, while F95 carved out the better chances. Tim Oberdorf’s glancing header from a free kick forced Tjark Ernst into a brilliant reflex save, and just moments later Jesper Daland blazed over from close range after being left completely unmarked at the back post.

Düsseldorf continued to press - Christian Rasmussen curled inches wide before Emmanuel Iyoha’s back-post header was deflected over by Linus Gechter. Somehow, the sides went into the break level, much to Anfang’s frustration after his team had done everything but score.

The second half told a very different story. Hertha returned rejuvenated and began to dictate play, matching their opponents’ first-half intensity. Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson looked certain to score after a low Fabian Reese cross, but somehow failed to bundle the ball over the line. Moments later, Reese himself wasted a golden one-on-one chance, firing straight at Florian Kastenmeier.

As the match edged deep into stoppage time and both sides seemed destined to share the spoils, the decisive moment arrived. Substitute Maurice Krattenmacher picked up the ball on the edge of the area, drove into the box, and unleashed a fierce strike into the top corner - sparking wild celebrations among the home fans and players.

There was still time for one final scare, but Ernst came to Hertha’s rescue once more, clawing the ball off the line in the dying seconds to preserve the victory.

The referee soon brought an enthralling contest to a close with Hertha 1-0 winners. It marks a second consecutive home triumph for Die Alte Dame, who climb back up to eighth. For Markus Anfang, it’s a second straight defeat in charge of Fortuna Düsseldorf, who sit 13th and face plenty of questions to answer in the coming weeks.