Match report

HSV beaten 2-1 by RB Leipzig

After Fabio Vieira put HSV in front (22’), the visitors turned the game around through Rômulo (36’) and Yan Diomande (50’). Daniel Heuer Fernandes also saved a penalty (62’).

Hamburger SV lost 2-1 at home to RB Leipzig on Sunday evening (1st March) in the closing fixture of Bundesliga matchday 24. In front of 57,000 fans at a sold-out Volksparkstadion, both sides went at it from the first whistle and traded chances and goals. Vieira finished off a counter-attack to make it 1-0 in the 22nd minute, before Rômulo levelled in style in the 36th to send the teams into the break deadlocked at 1-1. Straight after the restart, Leipzig struck again as Diomande made it 2-1 in the 50th minute. Heuer Fernandes kept HSV alive by saving Rômulo’s penalty (62’), but the hosts couldn’t find a way back and suffered their first defeat in the second half of the season after six straight unbeaten games.

Open contest…

Compared to the 1-1 draw in Mainz, head coach Merlin Polzin made three changes to his starting XI. Luka Vuskovic returned after serving a suspension, while William Mikelbrencis and Damion Downs came in for Warmed Omari, Bakery Jatta (ill) and Robert Glatzel.

Downs was involved immediately, teeing up the first shot of the night as he cushioned a Vieira pass on the edge of the box for Ransford Königsdörffer, whose effort from range whistled past the right post (4’). Leipzig responded through Rômulo, but his low strike from 18 yards was straight at Heuer Fernandes (8’). Moments later, Downs was again in the thick of it, sent clear by Vuskovic’s sweeping pass and then forcing RBL goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt into a strong save with a powerful finish across goal.

At the other end, Rômulo and Christoph Baumgartner both missed inside the six-yard box after Ridle Baku broke down the right and drilled the ball across the face of goal. After around 20 minutes, Polzin was forced into an early change as captain Nicolas Capaldo had to come off injured. Omari replaced him and Miro Muheim took over the armband.

HSV weren’t thrown off course by the switch – quite the opposite. In the 22nd minute, Vieira won the ball near the halfway line and HSV broke quickly via Königsdörffer and Mikelbrencis. The wing-back reached the byline and cut it back perfectly to the penalty spot, where Vieira arrived to slide a composed finish into the net for 1-0. The goal, HSV’s 10th from a counter-attack this season, cranked the noise at the Volksparkstadion up another notch. With the crowd behind them, the Rothosen first rode out half-chances for Baumgartner and Diomande, before Leipzig hit back in the 36th with a moment of real quality. Baku nodded the ball into the six-yard box and, with his back to goal, Rômulo produced a clever back-heel that found the corner for 1-1.

HSV again responded well, Downs testing Vandevoordt with a long-range strike that the keeper did well to push away (38’). Leipzig then enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure, but Heuer Fernandes dealt with Rômulo’s header to ensure it stayed 1-1 at the break.

…and a one-sided finish

Both teams emerged unchanged after half time, and Leipzig eventually made their dominance count in the 50th minute. Rômulo pounced on a sloppy pass in HSV’s build-up, and after a short exchange in the box, Diomande was slipped in. The visitors’ young attacker forced the ball over the line from close range amid a scramble, with a touch of luck, to make it 2-1.

This time, HSV struggled to regain the momentum. Leipzig, buoyed by the fact it was their first time coming from behind to lead in the league this season, grew increasingly assured and were awarded a penalty after a handball from Nicolai Remberg following a corner. With the Volkspark crowd behind him, Heuer Fernandes produced a superb save to deny Rômulo’s low, powerful effort into the bottom-right corner (62’).

Polzin then rolled the dice, sending on Yussuf Poulsen, Jean-Luc Dompe and Albert Sambi Lokonga all at once. Even so, the turnaround never came. Leipzig came close to a third when substitute Ezechiel Banzuzi blazed over from the penalty spot after a counter (75’), and soon after he passed up another big chance, only for Omari to get back and block at the last moment from close range after a Diomande pass.

HSV, still without a shot in the second half at that stage, threw everything forward in the closing minutes and the six-minute stoppage time. Rayan Philippe was introduced and Vuskovic was pushed up as an extra aerial threat. But even with bodies in the box, the equaliser wouldn’t come, and HSV had to settle for a frustrating, though ultimately fair, 2-1 defeat.

Match Facts:

Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – Capaldo (20’ Omari), L. Vuskovic, Torunarigha – Mikelbrencis, Vieira (87’ Philippe), Remberg, Muheim – Königsdörffer (67’ Sambi Lokonga), Downs (67’ Poulsen), Otele (67’ Dompe)

RB Leipzig: Vandevoordt – Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum – Gruda (72’ Banzuzi), Seiwald, Baumgartner – Diomande (90’+1 Henrichs), Rômulo (90’+5 Harder), Nusa (72’ Gomis)

Goals: 1-0 Vieira (22’), 1-1 Rômulo (36’), 1-2 Diomande (50’)

Attendance: 57,000 (sold out)

Referee: Bastian Dankert

Yellow cards: Otele, Muheim, Poulsen / Orban, Rômulo

Red cards: - / -