Ilyas Ansah made a late impact as Paderborn suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Hertha BSC in a thrilling Bundesliga 2 encounter at Deluxe Arena.
Hertha took the lead early in the 16th minute through Derry Scherhant, who fired a stunning shot into the top corner after a well-timed assist from Deyovaisio Zeefuik. Despite Paderborn’s best efforts, it wasn’t until the dying moments of the match that they found the net.
Michaël Cuisance doubled Hertha’s lead in the 69th minute, converting a penalty with precision to the bottom right corner. Paderborn, however, didn’t give up and mounted a late rally. In the 90th+4 minute, Ansah, who had entered the field in the 81st minute, provided a crucial assist to Sven Michel, who pulled one back with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box.
Despite Ansah’s late contribution, Paderborn couldn’t find an equalizer and fell short, leaving Hertha to celebrate the win. Paderborn will now turn their attention to their next match against Darmstadt on January 26th.