TERODDE STRIKES FIRST…
Markus Gisdol changed things up after the frustrating 1-0 defeat in Augsburg to kick off 2018. He returned to his familiar 4-2-3-1 formation and made two changes to the starting line-up. A fit-again Aaron Hunt came in for Sejad Salihovic on the right flank, while Lewis Holtby was also given the nod after recovering from his knee injury. That meant Bobby Wood missed out, paving the way for André Hahn to lead the line.
The changes seemed to have an effect in the early stages, with HSV linking up well going forward. Hahn, Dennis Diekmeier and Filip Kostic all had chances to score in the opening exchanges, but there was no way past goalkeeper Timo Horn. Köln’s defensive unit steadily began to get the Hamburg attack under wraps and their teammates started poking holes at the other end. Yuya Osaka was looking a particular threat on the counter, although he played a crucial part in the set-piece that provided the opening goal in the 27th minute. Milos Jojic’s corner was flicked on at the near post by the Japanese forward, allowing Simon Terodde to force the ball over the line from within the six-yard box. The goal hit Hamburg hard, and it took until just before the half-time whistle to offer a response, but again Kostic was kept at bay by the impressive Horn.