Hertha BSC claimed a 1-0 victory over VfL Bochum in the opening match of the 53rd 2. Bundesliga season on Friday, ending a six-year wait for a season-opening win and moving to the top of the table. Sebastian Grønning scored the only goal in the 39th minute, the first of the new campaign, in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,000 at the Ruhrstadion.
The match was interrupted for roughly six minutes in the first half after Hertha supporters displayed a banner on a perimeter fence. Bochum, who underwent major squad turnover with 17 departures and 10 arrivals, extended a decade-long streak without a season-opening win.
Hertha, led onto the pitch by captain Josip Brekalo, sit atop the standings for the first time in nearly 13 years. The Berlin side faces 1. FC Heidenheim next, while Bochum host Eintracht Braunschweig.