Match Report
21.10.19
HSV share the points in Bielefeld
Hamburger SV drew the top-of-the-table clash against Arminia Bielefeld on Monday night. Lukas Hinterseer gave the Rothosen the lead in a strong first half showing before Fabian Klos’ equaliser shortly after half-time.
HSV emerged from Bielefeld on Monday night (21st October) with a point after a game of two halves at the SchücoArena. Precision in possession and pace without the ball lead to a host of chances for the visitors, yet it was a mistake from Bielefeld’s Edmundsson which set Lukas Hinterseer free for the game’s opening goal. The Rothosen could and should have been further ahead by the interval, and were punished with five minutes played in the second half, as Fabian Klos rose highest to score his seventh of the season from Marcel Hartel’s corner. The precision and pace from the first period was lacking in the second half for the Rothosen, who can have few complaints with sharing the points.
Hinterseer pounces on Edmundsson’s mistake
Dieter Hecking made one change compared to the team that had beaten Greuther Fürth before the international break, with Sonny Kittel replacing the injured Aaron Hunt, in a more advanced role just behind Lukas Hinterseer, with Jeremy Dudziak sitting next to Adrian Fein in central midfield. Despite the importance of the game in terms of league position, both sides started on the front foot, displaying the reasons for their potency in front of goal. Florian Hartherz’s drive flew past Daniel Heuer Fernandes’ post before Andreas Voglsammer’s header nestled straight in the arms of the HSV ‘keeper, early warning signs from Arminia. A frantic opening quarter of an hour came to an end as a fantastic pass from Adrian Fein set Sonny Kittel free, but the 26-year-old’s cross was just in front of Lukas Hinterseer. Whilst his own teammates weren’t able to find him, Hinterseer received the perfect pass in the 15th minute, albeit from Bielefeld midfielder Joan Simun Edmundsson, who completely misjudged his pass to centre-back Amos Pieper. Hinterseer was left with a free run at goal, and kept his composure to curl the ball round Stefan Ortega to give Hamburg an early lead.
The pressure from the visitors was unrelenting, with Sonny Kittel almost doubling the Rothosen’s lead in the 18th minute, but his left-footed volley from the edge of the area nestled on top of the Bielefeld net. The game settled down after Kittel’s chance, only to burst into life once again just after the half-hour mark. A strong run down the left from Bakery Jatta saw Sonny Kittel blaze over the bar from a promising position, before Daniel Heuer Fernandes had to be at his best to parry away strongly from Fabian Klos. HSV broke from the resulting save, and Jeremy Dudziak waltzed through the Bielefeld backline, beating two defenders with one fake shot, but the 24-year-old’s right-footed effort slid past the left-hand post with Ortega beaten. Hamburg looked the more comfortable of the two teams in possession, pulling the opposition out of position and stretching them with their pace, with Martin Harnik having the ball in the back of the Bielefeld net again in the 38th minute, only for it to be correctly ruled out for offside. With that, referee Willenborg ended the first half, with a whole host of chances for both sides, and Hamburg’s slender lead deserved but in danger from a threatening Bielefeld.
Klos punishes sleepy Hamburg
The threat from Bielefeld was confirmed a mere five minutes into the second half as HSV found themselves back at square once again. Marcel Hartel’s corner from the left-hand side was floated into the box and Fabian Klos rose above Timo Letschert to head past Daniel Heuer Fernandes for his seventh goal of the season. After a strong first-half showing, Dieter Hecking’s side were unable to cope with the tenacity and robustness of their hosts, whilst also lacking the accuracy in possession which had proven such a threat in the first period. The tempo and pace from both sides could not match the efforts before the interval, with Bielefeld the stronger of the two, but failing to make their dominance count in terms of notable chances. The final quarter of an hour saw the away side once again find their way back into the game, with Bakery Jatta in particular providing impetus on the left-hand side, and the 21-year-old’s floated cross was headed over the bar by the onrushing Tim Leibold.
Stefan Ortega’s woodwork was tested a few moments later with five minutes of regulation to play, as a long ball from the back fell to Jeremy Dudziak, who controlled on his chest before clattering a left-footed volley against the upright. Yet it would have been an undeserved winner for the Rothosen who failed to click into gear for long periods after the interval, and were shown to be lacking when Bielefeld applied pressure with and without the ball. As referee Willenborg blew for full-time, both sides were content with a point gained, knowing that neither did quite enough to gain all three points and make a clear statement in the promotion race. For Hamburg, the next big test comes on Saturday at home to second-placed VfB Stuttgart.
Game overview
Arminia Bielefeld: Ortega - Brunner, Pieper, Nilsson, Hartherz - Prietl - Edmundsson (46‘ Yabo), Hartel (89’ Schütz) - Soukou (68’ Clauss), Voglsammer, Klos
Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes - Vagnoman, Letschert, van Drongelen, Leibold - Fein - Dudziak (87‘ Jung), Kittel (78‘ Kinsombi) - Harnik (75‘ Narey), Hinterseer, Jatta
Goals: 0-1 Hinterseer (15‘), 1-1 Klos (50‘)
Attendance: 26,515 (sold-out)
Referee: Frank Willenborg (Osnabrück)
Yellow cards: Klos (53‘), Brunner (89‘) / -
Red cards: - / -