Richter on target as Hertha claim first win of the season at Augsburg

Augsburg 0-2 Hertha
Goals: 0-1 Lukebakio 57' (assist: Plattenhardt), 0-2 Richter 90+4' (assist: Selke)

With the home side on just three points going into the game and their one-point visitors still looking for a first win of the campaign, the Matchday 7 meeting at the WWK Arena had all the trappings of an early relegation six-pointer. It gave way for a tentative start to proceedings, with Mergim Berisha going closest half an hour in as the Augsburg debutant kissed the outside of the Hertha post from a tight angle. That was about as good as it got in terms of attempts on goal, with both defences standing resolutely as the two teams held one another at arm's length.

Home boss Enrico Maaßen looked for Ruben Vargas for inspiration after the break, with the 24-year-old Switzerland international replacing Arne Maier for the start of the second half. But it was Hertha who found the breakthrough as Marvin Plattenhardt's delightful cross from the left headed downwards and into the back of the net by Lukebakio. Lucas Tousart should have doubled his team's lead in the final 10 minutes but his own header was straight at home goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz, who completed a routine save. They finally got their second when Richter tapped home from close range in stoppage time, scoring his first goal since surgery to remove a malignant tumour just months ago. Their first win of the season moves Hertha above Augsburg and out of the bottom-three.

• Augsburg have now lost each of their first three home Bundesliga matches of the 2022/23 campaign.
• Berisha made his first Augsburg appearance since signing on loan from Turkish side Fenerbahce.
• It may have been Berisha's Bundesliga debut but he previously featured four times in the German second division for Magdeburg during a brief loan spell in 2018.
• Hertha have lost just one of their last 16 Bundesliga meetings with Augsburg (W9, D6).
• Lukebakio scored his second Bundesliga goal of the season and has now struck in two of his three away outings in 2022/23.
• It was Richter's second Bundesliga outing since surgery, against the club he previously represented 102 times in all competitions. In the top-flight, he scored 12 goals in 97 games for Augsburg, before joining Hertha in 2021.

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Watch: Richter: "It was very emotional"

Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Bauer, Gouweleeuw (c), Gumny - Caligiuri, Maier (Vargas 46'), Gruezo (Baumgartlinger 36'), Rexhbecaj (Petkov 82'), Pedersen - Demirovic (Niederlechner 74'), Berisha (Hahn 74')
Unused subs: Klein, Framberger, Zehntner
Out: Dorsch (metatarsal), Iago (unconfirmed), Oxford (knee), Sarenren Bazee (cruciate ligament), Jensen (knock), Strobl (knee), Uduokhai (ankle), Winther (muscular)
Coach: Enrico Maaßen

Hertha: Christensen - Kenny, Uremovic, Kempf, Plattenhardt (c) - Sunjic, Tousart, Serdar (Boëtius 58') - Lukebakio (Dardai 83'), Kanga (Selke 83'), Ejuke (Richter 68')
Unused subs: Ernst, Pekarik, Darida, Maolida, Mittlestädt
Out: Dong-jun Lee (knee), Gechter (tonsils), Jarstein (not considered), Jovetic (unspecified), Ngankam (knee), Nsona (cruciate ligament), Prince-Boatend (muscular), Scherhant (muscular)
Coach: Sandro Schwarz

Watch: Lukebakio: "My heading is getting better!"