The anxiety persists: Hamburger SV failed to capitalize on their rivals’ slip-ups and missed an opportunity to make a decisive move in the Bundesliga relegation battle.
Facing Champions League contenders TSG Hoffenheim, the depleted HSV suffered a 1-2 (1-2) defeat at their home stadium, Volksparkstadion. In an intense Saturday evening match, the visitors proved more clinical.
Thanks to their second consecutive victory, TSG can continue to dream of the top European competition, at least overnight, climbing to fourth place in the standings. Fisnik Asllani (18th minute) with his tenth goal of the season and Tim Lemperle (45th minute) secured the 17th win of the season for the surprise team. Robert Glatzel’s penalty goal (34th minute) was not enough for HSV.
The Hamburg side, now winless in six games, only got away with a relatively mild outcome due to the struggles of their competitors. With VfL Wolfsburg and FC St. Pauli also failing to win, HSV still maintains a five-point lead over the relegation play-off spot with three games remaining.
«We can and must do better,» Merlin Polzin had said, referring to the 1-4 loss in the first leg in Hoffenheim. However, for the HSV coach, who had to do without key defender Luka Vuskovic, Miro Muheim, and Jean-Luc Dompé among others, it was a matter of coping with another setback despite an evenly matched start to the game. After a strong cross from Vladimir Coufal, Asllani had too much space in the center and scored unhindered.
TSG Hoffenheim’s High Pressing Proves Effective Against HSV
Buoyed by their 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund and an early lead, Hoffenheim relied on their characteristic high pressing game. However, HSV repeatedly managed to break through it and exploit dangerous spaces. The equalizer came from an individual error: Ozan Kabak’s back-pass went astray, Glatzel pounced on it and was only stopped by a foul from national goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. The striker himself stepped up to take the ensuing penalty and slotted it into the middle.
The Volkspark erupted in ecstasy, but the joy was short-lived. In a seemingly harmless situation, the defensively shaky Hamburg players failed to clear the ball, Lemperle suddenly found himself free and scored his eighth goal of the season from close range.
The visitors remained dominant after halftime. The impressive Coufal repeatedly created danger with his excellent crosses – but Daniel Heuer Fernandes kept HSV in the game until the final stages. After a corner, Bakery Jatta missed a headed chance to equalize when unmarked (74th minute).