Relegation-Threatened Hertha Berlin Loses 4-1 at Leverkusen

05 March 2023, North Rhine-Westphalia, Leverkusen: Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby celebrates after scoring his side's third goal of the game during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha BSC at BayArena. (dpa)
05 March 2023, North Rhine-Westphalia, Leverkusen: Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby celebrates after scoring his side's third goal of the game during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha BSC at BayArena. (dpa)
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Relegation-Threatened Hertha Berlin Loses 4-1 at Leverkusen

05 March 2023, North Rhine-Westphalia, Leverkusen: Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby celebrates after scoring his side's third goal of the game during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha BSC at BayArena. (dpa)
05 March 2023, North Rhine-Westphalia, Leverkusen: Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby celebrates after scoring his side's third goal of the game during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha BSC at BayArena. (dpa)

Hertha Berlin’s hopes of edging further away from the Bundesliga’s relegation zone were wrecked Sunday in a 4-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen.

Moussa Diaby, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong starred for Leverkusen as it bounced back from two league games without a win with a convincing display of attacking soccer. The visitors found themselves unable to compete with the home team’s speed on the wings.

Frimpong and Diaby combined down the right before the latter cut the back for Sardar Azmoun to open the scoring in the 12th minute, and it was a similar story for the second goal in the 21st.

Frimpong and Odilon Kossounou sent Diaby racing down the right and the French forward cut the ball back for Frimpong to score, though he could have picked out any of the four Leverkusen players who ran with him in anticipation of the cross.

Frimpong had to go off injured in the 29th, by which time the game already seemed going in one direction only with Hertha unable to muster a response to the early setbacks.

It continued in the same vein after the break, when Diaby struck the crossbar and then grabbed the third goal on the hour-mark.

Dodi Lukebakio’s penalty in the 67th provided only brief respite for the visitors, with Amine Adli adding Leverkusen’s fourth in the 73rd.

Hertha remained just one point ahead of the bottom four teams — Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Bochum — all on 19 points.

Leverkusen climbed to ninth.

Wolfsburg hosted Eintracht Frankfurt later Sunday.



Inzaghi Leaves Inter After Champions League Final Defeat

Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi reacts. (Reuters)
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Inzaghi Leaves Inter After Champions League Final Defeat

Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi reacts. (Reuters)

Simone Inzaghi has left his position as manager of Inter Milan, the Serie A club said on Tuesday.

The 49-year-old is departing just three days after a humiliating 5-0 loss in the Champions League final against Paris St Germain and will not lead Inter in the upcoming Club World Cup.

Inzaghi and Inter ended the season on a disappointing note after finishing second in Serie A, one point behind champions Napoli, and were knocked out in the Coppa Italia semi-finals 4–1 on aggregate by city rivals AC Milan.

"The time has come for me to say goodbye to this club after a four-year journey, during which I gave everything," Inzaghi said in a separate statement.

Inzaghi's tenure ended having won six trophies in total, one Serie A Scudetto, two Coppa Italia triumphs and three Supercoppa Italia trophies.

"I want to dedicate one last word to the millions of Nerazzurri (Inter) fans who cheered me on, cried and suffered in difficult moments and laughed and celebrated in the six triumphs we experienced together," he added.

"I will never forget you."