26.11.2018
HSV battle to 2-2 home draw with Union Berlin
After coming from behind to lead with just a couple of minutes to go, HSV had to settle for a point in their 2-2 draw at home to 1. FC Union Berlin. Aaron Hunt and Lewis Holtby were on the scoresheet for the hosts.
HSV battled to a 2-2 home draw with 1. FC Union Berlin on matchday 14 of the 2. Bundesliga season. In front of 45,584 fans on Monday night, HSV fell behind in the twelth minute as Joshua Mees fired the visitors into the lead. However, the hosts improved especially after half-time and created good chances to equalise. HSV were rewarded with two goals in seven minutes from captain Aaron Hunt and Lewis Hotlby to turn the match in their favour. However, in the 90th minute, Union winger Suleiman Adullahi managed to slot the ball home to take a point back to Berlin. HSV return to the top of the table but the lead has been cut to a single point.
Union midfielder Joshua Mees was able to take the ball away from Rick van Drongelen and Leo Lacroix to give the visitors the lead.
Disappointing start…
HSV head coach Hannes Wolf made two changes to his starting lineup following the 3-1 win in Aue. Fiete Arp dropped the bench and was replaced by Bakery Jatta on the left wing. Centre forward Pierre-Michel Lasogga was ruled out of the match with a muscle problem and was replaced by Hee-chang Hwang . The South Korean created the first chance of the match after 100 seconds but was unable to find the back of the net after a good solo run. He waited a fraction too long to shoot and missed out on scoring an early goal. The Rothosen would regret not taking this early opportunity. A tackle too many, a moment too late – HSV were a split second slower than their visitors in several occasions in the early stages. Whenever the Rothosen had two options, they were choosing the wrong option or taking too long. However, HSV were definitely in the match until they fell behind. Mees’ strike in the 12th minuet sparked the end of Hamburg’s promising start in attack. The hosts were then lacking the final pass to carve Union Berlin open. Despite their best efforts, the Rothosen were unable to create any more clear chances before half-time. In the remainder of the first half, the visitors defended well and were content in allowing the rest of the half to take place in front of their goal.
Orel Mangala provided the spark in the HSV midfield as the home side came back into the match.
…and a disappointing climax
At the start of the second half, Hannes Wolf’s side were able to find the reset button and successfully put their opponents under pressure. The host side constantly attacked in the opening stages as they attempted to find a way through the resolute Union defence. The visitors were able to hold out against the constant HSV pressure until the 58th minute when HSV secured their fully deserved equaliser. The ball wasn’t cleared by the Union defence and it fell to Hunt who kept his cool to bring his side level. After celebrating the equaliser, HSV didn’t sit back and invite their opponents forward, instead continuing to put their opponents under pressure. The Rothosen were rewarded for their improved performance just seven minutes after the equaliser as Holtby smashed the ball home from inside the penalty box. HSV remained solid in defence and dangerous on the counter attack until the 90th minute when Hwang created a chance to seal the victory. However, the South Korean was unable to beat Union goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz and the visitors charged down the over end of the pitch. As it so often the case in football, HSV’s second half efforts had been undone as the ball fell to Suleiman Adullahi inside the penalty box and he fired home to secure a point for the visitors.
Match overview
Hamburger SV:
Pollersbeck – Sakai, Lacroix, van Drongelen, Santos – Mangala (Moritz 86’) – Narey (Arp 79’), Hunt (Bates 75’), Holtby, Jatta – Hwang
Union Berlin:
Gikiewicz – Trimmel, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel – Schmiedebach, Prömel – Abdullahi, Hartel (Gogia 77’), Mees (Hedlund 46’) – Polter (Andersson 64’)
Goals:
0-1 Mees (12‘), 1-1 Hunt (58‘), 2-1 Holtby (65‘), 2-2 Abdullahi (90‘)
Attendance:
45,584
Referee:
Frank Willenborg (Osnabrück)
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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