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HERTHA BSC BERLIN OFF TO A FLYING START: HAVERTZ AND HØJLUND BRACE SEALS 4-0 WIN OVER ST. PAULI
Berlin, Germany – July 30, 2023
Hertha BSC Berlin announced their return to professional football with authority, dispatching FC St. Pauli 4-0 in a dream start to the 2023–2024 2. Bundesliga season. A roaring Olympiastadion crowd witnessed a disciplined yet dazzling performance from the capital club, as goals came in pairs from Kai Havertz and Rasmus Højlund in a one-sided affair that left no doubt about Hertha’s ambitions.
The midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Pablo Gavi, and Havertz set the tone early. Gavi, in particular, was electric—constantly finding pockets of space, spraying pinpoint passes, and registering two assists. It was Gavi’s incisive through-ball in the 12th minute that found Havertz for the opener, and again his vision set up Højlund in the 22nd minute for a confident finish across goal.
Before halftime, Florian Wirtz got into the action with a well-placed cross from the left flank. The Bayer Leverkusen winger picked out Havertz at the far post, who made no mistake and buried a header to make it 3-0. Wirtz’s assist capped off a tireless first half performance that left St. Pauli scrambling.
The final blow came in the 63rd minute when Achraf Hakimi’s marauding run and low cross sliced through the St. Pauli defense. Højlund was in the right place at the right time to slot home his second, putting the game far beyond reach.
Defensively, Hertha were just as sharp. Gianluigi Donnarumma kept a clean sheet without breaking a sweat, thanks to composed performances from Nico Schlotterbeck and Declan Rice, who shut down any flickers of a St. Pauli comeback.
“This is exactly what we needed—a clear statement,” said coach Georg Kevin Paquet after the match. “The guys worked hard during preseason, and today it showed. Gavi was majestic, and I couldn’t ask more from our front line.”
Hertha BSC now sit atop the 2. Bundesliga table after Matchday 1, brimming with confidence as they prepare for their first away fixture of the season against 1. FC Kaiserslautern at the legendary Betzenberg next week.
If this opener is any indication, Hertha’s mission for promotion is already in motion—and the rest of the league is on notice.
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