Magdeburg settles at the top

Wild game in Magdeburg: 1. FC Magdeburg has become a promotion contender. In a turbulent 6-4 win over Hertha BSC, coach Christian Titz's team leveled Berlin's lead four times to earn their third win in five games with two draws in the closing stages. "An enormous will and belief in themselves" were the basis for Titz's success in front of 26,872 spectators in the sold-out MDCC Arena, "we had more of the game and knew they would play rough. I said in the half-time break that we should stay calm and play our game."

At that point it was 2:3 through the goals of the Berliners of Fabian Reese (2nd), Marten Winkler (22nd) and Haris Tabakovic (42nd). Silas Gnaka (7th) and Luca Schuler (37th) scored for Magdeburg. The renewed equalizer to 3:3 by Jason Ceka (49th) was countered by double-packer Tabakovic (55th). Leon Bell Bell equalized three minutes later, before a Sunday shot of Mohammed El-Hankouri (68.) pulled the tooth of the capitals and Ahmet Arslan in the injury time made the final score.

Hertha coach Pal Dardai missed a certain degree of self-confidence in the respective leads: "After the leads there was no control, no one has taken responsibility." In contrast, Magdeburg, who have now become the first second-division team to overcome four arrears, refused to be rattled. "After every deficit, it was only a matter of time for us to come back," Schuler said.

Despite the good start, the players are skirting around statements about possible dreams of promotion. "We are at the beginning of the season, it is still very early. We are happy that it is working well now, that we have come in well and want to continue there. We are not there now and say we want to climb, we look from game to game," said Bell Bell. Dardai, on the other hand, is looking forward to the end of transfers and the upcoming international break, during which the Hungarian announced hard training to shape the newly assembled team: "At the end of autumn, we will then have a really strong team."