Match Report
28.09.19
Frantic final 20 minutes sees Hamburg share the points in Regensburg
A one-two punch in the 72nd and 75th minute in the form of a Sebastian Nachreiner own goal and Aaron Hunt strike had seemingly turned the game around for Hamburg until Andreas Albers’ 85th minute effort saw both sides earn a point.
HSV drew an away match for the first time this season in Regensburg on Saturday (28th September), with sleepy defending costing the Rothosen in the first half and the dying embers of the game. Sebastian Stolze’s 29th minute opener gave the Bavarian hosts a deserved half-time lead after an imprecise first half both with and without the ball from Hamburg. Second half pressure was rewarded with Sebastian Nachreiner’s own goal in the 72nd minute, before Aaron Hunt’s strike barely three minutes later had appeared to have turned the game in HSV’s favour. However, yet more weary defending gave Andreas Albers the chance to snatch a point for the hosts, an offer that the Dane obliged in taking.
Stolze punishes sleepy HSV
Dieter Hecking trusted the same starting eleven as the team which had beaten Erzgebirge Aue 4-0 the previous Sunday at the Volksparkstadion. It was almost the perfect start for the hosts, who had beaten HSV 2-1 on their previous visit to the Continental Arena, as Marco Grüttner’s cross-cum-shot from the right-hand edge of the box hammered against Daniel Heuer Fernandes’ crossbar with barely a minute played. The hosts’ energetic start to the game saw them press the Rothosen high up the pitch, with Hamburg struggling to get into their passing rhythm due to the pressure from the hosts and a lack of precision in defence and midfield. Regensburg had a penalty shout turned down in the 17th minute, as Stolze’s foot collided into the outrushing Heuer Fernandes, with referee Welz correctly deciding that it was Stolze who had pushed his feet into the HSV goalkeeper rather than the other way round.
After a stronger period from the away side, with Sonny Kittel’s left-footed attempt just whistling past the Alexander Meyer’s left-hand upright, the home side took a deserved lead. Daniel Heuer Fernandes wasn’t able to handle Jann George’s cross from the right-hand side, and the ball fell straight to Sebastian Stolze, who was waiting on the penalty spot to hammer a right-footed effort past the Hamburg ‘keeper. The ball hit Marco Grüttner who had fallen into the Hamburg goal but as it had hit him behind the line the goal stood after checking with the video assistant. The first goal of the game seemed to liven the away side up, with a move straight from the restart seeing Martin Harnik’s left-footed curling effort from the edge of the box being blocked behind for a corner. The left-hand side looked most threatening for HSV, with precise combination play from Tim Leibold and Sonny Kittel finding Aaron Hunt all alone at the penalty spot, but the HSV captain couldn’t keep his shot down and find an equaliser. Despite having more of the chances, the dominant HSV side that had swept Aue aside last week was not to be seen, lacking precision on the ball and concentration without it. It was perhaps most frustrating, as the hosts looked vulnerable at the back when put under pressure. A driving run by Josha Vagnoman late in the half saw the 18-year-old cross into the box and Regensburg ‘keeper Meyer looked less than comfortable under the high ball, barely getting a fingertip on it when rushing out to deal with the situation. The ball landed at the feet of Sonny Kittel ten yards out slightly to the left of centre, but the 26-year-old could only drag his right-footed shot into the side netting, ending a half to forgot for the visitors.
Albers' late strike cancels out quick HSV turnaround
Dieter Hecking’s charges came out of the break with fresh impetus, and pushed the home side further and further into their own half. A free-kick from Sonny Kittel caused all kinds of havoc in the Regensburg box, with Meyer once again looking uncertain under the high ball, and with Regensburg failing to deal with the bouncing ball, Rick van Drongelen’s header back into the six-yard area found Gideon Jung, who didn’t quite hit his volley sweetly enough for the ball to nestle in the net. Set pieces were proving to be Hamburg’s most dangerous method of attack, and a corner from the left from Sonny Kittel found Martin Harnik waiting at the back post, but the Austrian’s header from all of six yards out hammered against the right-hand upright rather than the deserved equaliser.
The equaliser eventually came in the 72nd minute, ironically after a stronger period in the game from the hosts, who had threatened little up until that point. Sebastian Stolze completely missed the ball when left unmarked ten yards out and the away side used their pace on the counter to their advantage for the first time in the game. Substitute David Konsombi carried the ball all of 50 yards and spread out wide to Lukas Hinterseer, with the Austrian’s fierce ball into the middle too quick for Sebastian Nachreiner, who deflected the ball into his own net. With the Rothosen now firmly on top, the comeback was complete only 3 minutes later. A strong run by Vagnoman saw the teenager’s cross cleared but only as far as Aaron Hunt, whose left-footed strike on the half-volley was past Meyer before he could move. Having rearranged the scoreline in such a short amount of time, Dieter Hecking would have been hoping his team had the nous to see out the game and collect all three points. As it was it was the hosts who came back strongly once again to take what was a deserved point for the Bavarians over the course of 90 minutes. Andreas Albers won his aerial battle with Timo Letschert, and was fed in behind by Marco Grüttner, the Dane retaining his composure to slot past Heuer Fernandes and level the game up once again. As referee Welz blew the final whistle, Hamburg could have had no complaints with the share of the points. For the second away game in a row the team took half an hour to get into the game. The one-two punch in the 72nd and 75th minute showed what the away side were capable of, but were once again caught napping late on to hand two points back to their less-than-accommodating hosts. Dieter Hecking will be relying on his charges’ home form once again to seal a win against Greuther Fürth next Saturday and enter the international break with a win.
Game overview
SSV Jahn Regensburg: Meyer - Saller, Nachreiner, Correia, Okoroji - Besuschkow, Gimber (46‘ Geipl) - George (70’ Albers), Palacios (58‘ Wekesser) - Stolze, Grüttner
Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes - Vagnoman, Jung (79‘ Letschert), van Drongelen, Leibold - Fein - Dudziak (68‘ Kinsombi), Hunt - Harnik, Hinterseer, Kittel (85‘ Jatta)
Goals: 1-0 Stolze (29‘), 1-1 Nachreiner (o.g., 72‘), 1-2 Hunt (75‘), 2-2 Albers (85‘)
Attendance: 15.210 (sold out)
Referee: Tobias Welz (Wiesbaden)
Yellow cards: Gimber (8’), George (13’), Correia (38’), Saller (76’) / Hinterseer (82’)
Red cards: - / -