A long-range stunner from Hertha Berlin defender Marton Dardai helped drag his side out of the relegation places with a 4-1 win at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday. Dardai, the son of Hertha legend Pal who sat watching in the stands, rocketed a low drive into the underside of the crossbar early in the second half to put his side 2-1 up on his 21st birthday. The win was just Hertha’s second victory in their past nine games, taking the side past Stuttgart and out of the bottom two automatic relegation places. The home side, who had conceded 13 goals and scored just one in their past four matches, looked in for another long day when Gladbach took the lead after 17 minutes.
Swiss centre back Nico Elvedi rose high to head in a corner from Luca Netz, giving the visitors the lead. Hertha equalised after 30 minutes through local junior Jessic Ngankam, who scored his first goal for the club he has represented since the age of six. Despite the attention of five Gladbach defenders, Ngankam latched onto a bullet pass from Marco Richter and buried it past ‘keeper Jonas Omlin. ##NAJAVA_MECA_7020482##Dardai struck after 52 minutes to bring the home crowd to their feet, including his father who started with Hertha in 1997 and has been involved with the club as a player and later a coach since.France striker Marcus Thuram had a chance to scrape a point for Gladbach with just three minutes remaining, but his strike was tipped over the bar by Hertha goalie Oliver Christensen. Another Berliner, striker Derry Scherhant, scored third in injury time before Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio added a fourth from the spot, helping Hertha to just their fourth win of the season.BUNDESLIGA – Matchday 20FridaySchalke 04 – Wolfsburg 0-0SaturdayHoffenheim – Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-3 (0-1)/N’Soki 77 – Andrich 6, Diaby 46, Hlozek 56/Mainz 05 – Augsburg 3-1 (2-1)/Lee 21, 52, Onisiwo 24 – Demirovic 28/Bayern München – Bochum 3-0 (1-0)/Muller 42, Coman 64 Gnabry 73(p) /Freiburg – Stuttgart 2-1 (0-1)/Grifo 60(p), 84(p) – Fuhrich 30/Werder Bremen – Borussia Dortmund 0-2 (0-0)/Bynoe-Gittens 67, 85/Leipzig – Union Berlin 1-2 (1-0)/Henrichs 24 – Haberer 61, Knoche 72 pen/SundayHertha BSC – Borussia M’gladbach 4-1 (1-1)/Ngankam 30, Dardai 52, Scherhant 90+1, Lukebakio 90+7 – Elvedi 17/FC Koln – Eintracht Frankfurt (in progress)