Match Report
05.10.19
Dudziak and Kittel seal fourth home win in a row
Second-half goals from Jeremy Dudziak and Sonny Kittel were enough to see off SpVgg Greuther Fürth, as HSV enjoyed their fourth home clean sheet and win in a row.
Hamburger SV’s impressive home run continued on Saturday afternoon (5th October), as SpVgg Greuther Fürth were the next to be put to the sword, leaving Hamburg empty-handed like the three previous visitors to the Volksparkstadion before them. A goal was the only thing missing from an entertaining first half that produced a number of fine stops from Sascha Burchert in the Fürth goal, with Jeremy Dudziak’s goal four minutes into the second half putting the Rothosen into a deserved lead. Daniel Heuer Fernandes pulled off a spectacular and important one-on-one save just after the hour mark, with the home side losing their way slightly and looking hectic in possession. However, substitute Sonny Kittel’s fifth of the season five minutes from time was enough for Hamburg to enter the international break on a high.
Chances go begging in goalless first half
Dieter Hecking made two changes from the team who drew last Saturday in Regensburg, with Sonny Kittel and the injured Gideon Jung making way for Bakery Jatta and Timo Letschert in Hamburg’s normal 4-2-3-1 formation. Unlike their previous exerts in Bavaria, Dieter Hecking’s charges started on the front foot, able to play their way out of the opposition’s high press much more effectively than against Regensburg. An early corner from Aaron Hunt fell to Martin Harnik 8 yards out, but Sascha Burchert in the Fürth goal was equal to the Austrian’s rasping half-volley. Hamburg’s electric start continued, with a shot and half-volley from Aaron Hunt both ending up in Burchert’s arms, with the visitors unable to deal with the pressure with and without the ball from the Rothosen. Bakery Jatta’s pressure on Maximilian Sauer saw the winger win the ball very high up the pitch, laying into the path of Aaron Hunt, who swept it forward to Martin Harnik. The Austrian retained his composure, checking inside David Raum, and, with the goal at his mercy, lifted his shot over the bar instead of into the gaping net.
The middle phase of the first half saw the Shamrocks grow more into the game without ever truly threatening Daniel Heuer Fernandes’ goal, and, with half an hour played, the Rothosen had another trio of chances that should have seen the home side take a deserved lead, with Leibold and Jatta both having efforts beaten away by Burchert. The best chance came after 33 minutes, with Hamburg once again winning the ball high up the pitch and Bakery Jatta’s cross across the face of goal somehow didn’t end up in the net, with a combination of Burchert and David Raum seeing the ball ending up in the ‘keeper’s arms on the goalline, with Martin Harnik waiting to pounce. Despite a strong first-half showing, that final killer instinct was missing, and, with 37 minutes played, the guests showed exactly what would happen if the hosts switched off for a mere second. Maximilian Sauer’s long throw-in from the right hand side was flicked on, and Tobias Mohr’s poke home was correctly ruled out for an offside position. However, it was a warning sign for the hosts as the teams entered the break with nothing to separate them.
Dudziak and Kittel seal the deal
The second half couldn’t have started better much better for the hosts, with the deserved go-ahead goal coming four minutes into the second period. The left-hand side, which had brought Maximilian Sauer grief all afternoon, was the starting point, as Bakery Jatta released the advancing Tim Leibold near the byline. The 25-year-old’s pinpoint cross found Jeremy Dudziak eight yards out, and the 23-year-old’s diving header was perfectly placed into the far corner to give Butschert no chance. The Rothosen were looking most dangerous when Fürth overcommitted, leaving space at the back, yet couldn’t quite create any clear-cut chances, with the final ball lacking. Having failed to string more than four passes together in an attacking move since the break, the Shamrocks reminded the hosts that they needed to keep their wits about them, with a long ball from the back for once being flicked on, yet Daniel Heuer Fernandes was out quickly to make himself big and block away the onrushing Tobias Mohr’s effort.
As the game moved into the final quarter of an hour, there was still an air of trepidation amongst the 44,180 spectators in attendance, with the one-goal cushion seeming in danger with the Green and Whites stringing together a number of dangerous attacks. Despite constantly winning the ball back, the hosts were much too hectic in possession, looking for the killer pass rather than keeping the ball away from the already exhausted visitors. However, with five minutes of regulation left to play, one of these killer passes came off to spectacular effect, as Adrian Fein’s succulent chipped through ball was straight into the path of Sonny Kittel, who took the ball down expertly and lifted it over the onrushing Burchert to double the Rothosen’s advantage and effectively end the game as a contest. As referee Heft blew the final whistle, Dieter Hecking will have been happy with his afternoon’s work. His side created a host of chances in both halves, and, most tellingly, managed to convert two of them to get the much-deserved victory. The fourth home clean sheet in a row will have pleased the 55-year-old the most, with Tobias Mohr’s second-half effort the only chance of note for the Shamrocks. Next up for the Rothosen is a tricky away trip to Arminia Bielefeld on Monday 21st October, with two weeks to rest and recuperate before then during the international break.
Game overview
Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes - Vagnoman, Letschert, van Drongelen, Leibold - Fein - Dudziak (86‘ Kinsombi), Hunt (72‘ Kittel) - Harnik, Hinterseer, Jatta (80‘ Samperio)
SpVgg Greuther Fürth: Burchert - Sauer, Caligiuri, Mavraj, Raum - Sarpei, Ernst (75‘ Leveling) - Hrogta (61‘ Keita-Ruel), Green (79‘ Stefaniak), Mohr - Nielsen
Goals: 1-0 Dudziak (49‘), 2-0 Kittel (85‘)
Attendance: 44,180
Referee: Florian Heft (Neuenkirchen)
Yellow cards: van Drongelen (60‘) / Green (25’), Sarpei (59’)
Red cards: - / -