Jonathan Klinsmann earned his Hertha Berlin senior debut on Thursday, and he provided quite the exclamation point.
With the German club already eliminated heading into Thursday’s Europa League group stage finale, Klinsmann made a late penalty kick save to preserve a 1-1 draw with Swedish side Ostersund.
Klinsmann’s penalty kick stop came in the game’s waning moments, as he dove to his left to keep out a Brwa Nouri penalty kick, preserving the 1-1 draw.
“We didn’t go over the penalties until right before the game,” Klinsmann said. “It wasn’t a thing we thought would happen but you have to prepare for the worst, so we said why not?
“You saw the little dots, where he misses, where he made and I just told myself that most guys go left. If I go and I have a feeling he’s going left, I have to go 100 percent to that corner and it worked.”
In total, Klinsmann made five saves in the match, but was beaten on the opposition’s lone goal, which came via a deflection.
It was definitely crazy. I don’t really know how to describe it. The first starting XI and in the Europa League, the whole thing. It was just crazy. I honestly don’t know what to say right now.
Check out Klinsmann’s post-game interview below:
