08.09.2017
0-2 - HSV lose to RB Leipzig
On Friday night a crowd of around 50,000 inside the floodlit Volksparkstadion in Hamburg saw the home side go down 0-2 against RB Leipzig in the opening game of Bundesliga matchday 3.
After winning their first two games of the new season the Rothosen tasted defeat for the first time on Friday night (08.09), going down 0-2 at home to last season’s surprise package RB Leipzig. The goals came after the break and were scored by Naby Keita (67.) and Timo Werner (75.).
Filip Kostic had HSV’s best first half chance, but pushed the ball narrowly wide after advancing on RB keeper Gulasci alone.
Chances at both ends
HSV and RB Leipzig were two of the best pressing teams in Germany’s top flight last term, so the large crowd was expectant ahead of kick off. Those expectations were more than fulfilled. Both teams made a bright and entertaining start to the game with each man in each team prepared to run for each other which made build up play a bit tough. Both sides attacked as soon as the opposition had the ball and there were a handful of decent chances before the break. Leipzig struch a post early on while the home side constantly improved against the Champions League participants, enjoying their best spell midway through the opening half. Had the home side managed to break the deadlock at that time it would have been well deserved. It was intense end to end stuff right up to the moment where match referee saw a foul by Ekdal on Leipzig’s Werner and awarded the visitors a penalty. The new video system was in play and the video referee corrected the referee and the penalty was turned down. Second later the half-time whistle sounded ended what was a dramatic opening 45 minutes.
HSV’s defence with skipper Kyriakos Papadopoulos at its heart fought hard to keep Leipzig at bay, but still conceded twice as first Keita and then Werner netted.
Knockout counter attack
The visitors made the better start to the second half, reminding everyone of their sensational performances last season which saw them end the season behind champions Bayern Munich. RB pinned the Rothosen back in their own half, without it must be said being able to penetrate the well-marshalled home defence with former Leipzig man Papadopoulos pulling the strings. HSV remained dangerous whenever they had the ball and created a decent scoring chance through Waldschmidt after around an hour who had been brought on for Kostic who was forced off with an injury (60.). Leipzib maintained the pressure and were rewarded on 67 minutes as Keita scored with a screamer from distance. That lead was deserved and the home side went within a whisker of equalising 15 minutes from the end as RB stopper Gulasci somehow managed to scrap and effort by substitute Schipplock from his line. It was a fine reflex save. Only 60 seconds later Leipzig put the game beyond Hamburg as their German international in-form striker Werner scored for them at the end of a well worked counter attack. The game ended in a deserved 2-0 victory for Leipzig but the home fans gave their team a deserved rousing send off for their undying effort. The Rothosen next play Niedersachesn-based rivals Hannover 96 at the Volksparkstadion next Friday night (15.09.17, 8.30 PM).
Match details:
HSV:
Mathenia - Diekmeier, Papadopoulos, Jung, van Drongelen (71. Sakai) - Walace, Ekdal (73. Schipplock) - Hahn, Holtby, Kostic (38. Waldschmidt) - Wood
RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi - Bernardo (59. Klostermann), Orban, Upamecano, Halstenberg - Keita, Demme - Sabitzer, Bruma (69. Kampl) - Augustin (77. Poulson), Ti. Werner
Goals:
0:1 Keita (67.), 0:2 Werner (75.)
Att:
50.231
Referee:
Deniz Aytekin (Oberasbach)
Booked:
Walace (88.) / Keita (67.)
No show from HSV
HSV head coach Markus Gisdol was forced into changing his team ahead of the trip south. Long term injured first choice keeper Adler was still recovering from a broken rib before his understudy Mathenia also got injured and was ruled out of the matchday 31 encounter. Up stepped under-21 stopper Mikel to the fray. Key winger Kostic who scored the only goal of the game between the two sides on matchday 14 was suspended so his place went to Austrian Gregoritsch. Ostrzolek got the nod at left back ahead of Douglas Santos while Walace replaced Jung in defensive midfield. Gisdol made four changes in all to the side which lost 1-2 at home to relegation certainties Darmstadt last time out. The new-look formation struggled early on. Augsburg created three top scoring opportunities within the opening 20 minutes. New keeper Mikel managed to keep out efforts by Kohr and Schmid and was grateful to be able to watch a Stafylidis free kick fizz narrowly wide of target. On 22 minutes the visitors were in luck again as an Altintop effort struck the left hand post with Mikel beaten. It seemed to the capacity crowd including yet another sold out contingent of travelling HSV faithful that it weould only be a matter of time before the home side would break the deadlock and they did as Altintop rounded off two counter attacks on 28 and 41 minutes to make the halftime score 2-0 to Augsburg. Mickel was powerless on both occasions and was HSV’s best man before the break.
Deserved defeat
Lasogga came on for Gregoritsch and Jung replaced Walace at the start of the second half as Gisdol opted for a two-pronged attack. Later Jatta replaced Ostrzolek. The ploy simply didn’t work as the Rothosen had more of the ball than in the previous half but were completely harmless in front of goal. Augsburg played a much more intelligent game and struck the woodwork again through Baier. That superior intelligence was underlined late on as Augsburg struck twice through Max and substitute Bobadilla (76., 85.). It was game over for HSV who failed to threaten until the 84th minute for Lasogga and Wood to miss chances. It was simply not good enough and the Rothosen remain just one point above the relegation play off spot in the table. Matchday 22 sees Gisdol and Co. host Mainz who are level on points but two places better due to a superior goal difference. Only a win will do as the teams lock horns at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg next Sunday (07.05.17, 3.30 PM).
Match details:
FC Augsburg:
Hitz - Verhaegh, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Stafylidis - Kohr, D. Baier (88. Callsen-Bracker) - Schmid, Halil Altintop (80. Bobadilla), Max (87. Ji) - Finnbogason
HSV:
Mickel - Diekmeier, K. Papadopoulos, Mavraj, Ostrzolek (63. Jatta) - Sakai, Walace (46. Jung) - Gregoritsch (46. Lasogga), Holtby, Hunt - Wood
Goals:
1:0 Altintop (28.), 2:0 Altintop (41.), 3:0 Max (76.), 4:0 Bobadilla (85.)
Booked:
Baier (48.) / Mavraj (33.), Gregoritsch (44.), Ostrzolek (51.), Holtby (72.)
Referee:
Manuel Gräfe (Berlin)
Att:
30.660 (sold out)
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