Match report

HSV and Eintracht Frankfurt share the points in final game of year

The Rothosen took the lead early on against Eintracht Frankfurt through Sambi Lokonga (19’), before the visitors equalised later on in the first half through Larsson (27’).

Hamburger SV drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, 20th December in their final match of 2025. The two historic clubs fought out an intense battle on Bundesliga Matchday 15, in front of a noisy crowd of 57,000 at the Volksparkstadion. HSV deservedly took the lead through Sambi Lokonga (19’) to make it 1-0. Frankfurt equalised shortly afterward with their first shot on goal through Larsson (27’), and later had some luck when first the crossbar and then a defender on the goal line prevented HSV from taking the lead. After the break, Frankfurt were the better side for long stretches, although HSV cleared two huge chances. The home side narrowly missed out on victory when Vieira’s goal was ruled out for offside. In the end, the teams could not be separated and HSV close the year with a draw.

Goals at the start…

Merlin Polzin made four changes to the team that started the 4-1 defeat in Hoffenheim, as Mikelbrencis, Remberg and Philippe came in for Gocholeishvili, Meffert and Vieira. The fourth change was enforced due to a knee injury suffered by Torunarigha in the final training session and the pain he felt during the pre-game warm-up. Elfadli came in to replace him at short notice. Despite the spontaneous reshuffle at the back, HSV began the game well against the Champions League side. There was little to separate the two sides in what was a balanced opening 15 minutes. The first real chance came after 18 minutes, when Capaldo just couldn’t get on the end of a Mikelbrencis cross. Immediately afterwards, the visitors made a mistake with a misplaced pass inside their own penalty area, which Sambi Lokonga ruthlessly punished. The summer signing from Arsenal fired a low shot from the left-hand side of the box into the near corner to make it 1-0. The goal sent the already loud Volkspark crowd into a frenzy. About five minutes later, HSV threatened again when Balde played a low ball across goal that Königsdörffer missed by centimetres.

Down the other end, Eintracht then showcased their technical quality and equalised in the 27th minute with a slick one-touch move involving Collins, Brown, and goalscorer Larsson. HSV responded immediately, but Philippe struck the crossbar from near the penalty spot. That was already HSV’s eighth effort to hit the woodwork this Bundesliga season. To make matters worse for the home side, a recovering Frankfurt defender cleared a Mikelbrencis header off the line. What had begun as a tactical contest now swung wildly back and forth before calming again from the 35th minute onward. HSV enjoyed a slight advantage in terms of control and arguably deserved more than the 1-1 scoreline at halftime.

…and a real fight until the end

After the restart, Frankfurt came out stronger, dominating possession and creating a major chance around the hour mark. Knauff attempted an acrobatic overhead kick from the left side of the box but was denied by an excellent save from Heuer Fernandes. Immediately afterward, Polzin reacted with a double substitution as his side had become too passive: Jatta and Soumahoro replaced Mikelbrencis and Elfadli. There was a bit of concern when Muheim and Kristensen collided heavily. Players and medical staff from both teams reacted quickly, and fortunately both players were able to continue.

At this stage, the match lost some of its energy, but it picked up again in the final 15 minutes. HSV survived a huge double chance for Frankfurt, as Capaldo blocked Uzun’s low shot with his foot, before Jatta then cleared Brown’s rebound off the goal line with his stomach. Almost immediately, HSV countered through Königsdörffer down the middle. He slipped the ball through to Vieira, who coolly curled it past Frankfurt goalkeeper Zetterer into the far corner. However, the celebrations for the apparent winner were short-lived, as Vieira was ruled marginally offside. With no further goals and visibly fading energy on both sides, the match went into nine minutes of stoppage time, during which both teams seemed to settle for the draw. HSV earned another point against a top side playing in Europe and head into the winter break with 16 points in 13th place.

Statistics:

Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – Capaldo, L. Vuskovic, Elfadli (61’ Soumahoro) – Mikelbrencis (61’ Jatta), Sambi Lokonga, Remberg, Muheim – Philippe (87’ Gocholeishvili), Königsdörffer (87’ Pherai), Balde (70’ Vieira)

Eintracht Frankfurt: Zetterer – Amenda, R. Koch, Collins – Kristensen (71’ Baum, 84’ Buta), Larsson (71’ Uzun), Dahoud, Brown, Doan, Bahoya (46’ Hojlund) – Knauff (82’ Ngankam)

Goals: 1-0 Sambi Lokonga (19’), 1-1 Larsson (27’)

Attendance: 57,000 (sold-out)

Yellow cards: - / -

Red cards: - / -