Match report

0-1! HSV lose at SC Freiburg

A 70th minute strike by substitute Nils Petersen was enough to seal HSV’s fate in Freiburg on Tuesday night.

HSV made the long trip home from the Black Forest empty handed. The Rothosen unluckily lost 0-1 away to newly-promoted SC Freiburg on Bundesliga matchday 4 on Tuesday night (20.09). The only goal of the game came on 70 minutes by Freiburg substitute Nils Petersen. The former Werder Bremen forward took only sixty seconds to break the deadlock. Before the break the visitors were playing well and had the better tackle stats. Bobby Wood had a chance to open the scoring on 37 minutes. The USA striker looked on in disbelief as his shot hit the inside of a post and didn’t cross the line. So it was left to Nils Petersen to break the hearts of travelling fans in the Black Forest. (70.)

Bobby Wood to open the scoring? No the post had the last laugh.

Freiburg had the ball. HSV the chances

Bruno Labbadia made two changes to the side which had been beaten 4-0 at home by newly-promoted RB Leipzig four days ago. Ekdal replaced Holtby in front of the back four while winger Kostic missed out through a groin problem. His place went to Waldschmidt. The Rothosen made a solid start to the game. Although the home side had more of the ball and seemed to have found a weakness down Hamburg’s left flank they never looked like breaching the solid looking HSV defence. Not so the visitors who were quick to the ball and determined in the tackle. The ball won from those challenges opened up chances for Hamburg to hit Freiburg on the break. Once again a long ball was played into the path of Wood who left his marker in his wake as he raced towards goal. His shot with the outside of his right boot however rebounded via the inside of the right hand upright. Müller was backing up but narrowly missed putting away the rebound (37.). The goalless score line at half time was about the right result, even though Waldschmidt blasted over from 8 minutes out from a crowd of players on the stroke of half time.

HSV misery: Substitute strikes again…

The second half began with both sides cancelling each other out in midfield. Although Freiburg began to allow the visitors a little more room while they themselves sat back hoping to hit Hamburg on the break. Goalmouth action was very rare. Then after an hour both coaches began to ring the changes, with HSV’s Labbadia introducing Gregoritsch for Waldschmidt (62.). Freiburg boss Christian Streich brought on Niedermeier for Frantz (62.) and Petersen for Niederlechner (68.). A chance for the subs to impress. HSV stopper Adler only managed to parry a shot from 25 metres by Grifo into the path of recent Olympic silver medal winner Petersen, who opened the scoring from close range only 54 seconds after coming on (70.).

The Rothosen tried everything and Labbadia introduced fresh legs up front by introducing Halilovic and Lasogga for Müller and Wood (76.), but they could not produce a significant change to the result which ended in a 1-0 win for Freiburg. In the end it was a carbon copy of the previous three games: First of all HSV look to be in charge and that they would take something from the game, only to fall foul of substitutes who came, saw and took the points off the Rothosen.

Match details:

SC Freiburg: Schwolow - P. Stenzel, Gulde, Höfler, C. Günter - Abrashi - O. Bulut, Frantz (62. Niedermeyer), Grifo - Philipp, Niederlechner (68. Petersen)

Hamburger SV: Adler - G. Sakai, Djourou, Spahic, Douglas - Ekdal, Jung - N. Müller (76. Halilovic), Hunt, Waldschmidt (62. Gregoritsch) - Wood (76. Lasogga)

Goal: 1:0 Petersen (70.)

Att: 24.000

Referee: Markus Schmidt (Stuttgart)

Booked: Frantz (33.) /