Match report

HSV defeat Werder Bremen 3-2 to win an incredible Nordderby!

In an unforgettable Nordderby, the Rothosen first fell behind before turning the game around thanks to goals from Sambi Lokonga and Vuskovic. After Njinmah made it 2-2, captain Poulsen struck in the 84th minute to seal a 3-2 victory.

Hamburger SV won the Nordderby 3-2 against SV Werder Bremen on Sunday (7th December) as part of matchday 13 of the Bundesliga. In front of 56,300 fans at a sold-out Volksparkstadion, both teams produced an intense and evenly balanced first half in which HSV created the slightly better chances, only to fall 1-0 behind shortly before the break when Stage scored in first-half stoppage time (45’+1). After the restart, HSV pushed hard for the equaliser and soon found their way back into the game. First Sambi Lokonga levelled on 63 minutes, before Luka Vuskovic completed the turnaround in the 75th minute. Even the rapid response from Njinmah, who equalised for Bremen in the 78th minute, didn’t unsettle the hosts in this memorable Nordderby. The Rothosen hit back once more, with captain Yussuf Poulsen firing home the much-celebrated winner in the 84th minute to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Caught cold just before the break...

Head coach Merlin Polzin made six changes to his starting line-up from the side that lost 4-2 on penalties to Holstein Kiel in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal in midweek. First-choice goalkeeper Heuer Fernandes returned in place of Peretz, while Jatta, Soumahoro, Capaldo, Sambi Lokonga and Dompe came in for Ramos, Gocholeishvili, Königsdörffer, Muheim and the suspended Rössing-Lelesiit. Lining up in the usual 3-4-2-1, the Rothosen were initially forced to do some defensive work: Stage fired wide of the left post from distance after two minutes, and Heuer Fernandes punched away a dangerous cross from Schmid. At the other end, HSV registered their first sights of goal soon after: Dompe bent an effort towards the far corner, and Vieira followed up with a shot from range. The first genuinely dangerous moment arrived in the 23rd minute when Philippe glanced a Dompe cross off his forehead, only for Jatta to miss it by a whisker at the back post.

Both sides then cancelled each other out for a spell in an increasingly feisty derby, before Sambi Lokonga forced SVW keeper Backhaus into a save with a powerful strike destined for the far corner. Moments later came another collective gasp from the stands as Vieira connected acrobatically with a Dompe cross, sending a bicycle kick just over the Bremen goal. HSV had carved out a slight advantage in chances but were then caught cold shortly before half-time. After winning back possession, the visitors broke at pace through the middle via Stage. The Dane finished clinically from the edge of the box, firing low into the bottom-right corner for 1-0.

…and then a brilliant reaction in the second half

There were no changes at the break, and HSV immediately took control of proceedings in the second half as they saw more of the ball. Around the 55-minute mark, they fashioned the next big opportunity: Dompe whipped in a cross from the edge of the box, Jatta met it first time at the back post and aimed for the near corner, only for Backhaus to keep it out. Almost immediately afterwards, Heuer Fernandes was called into action at the other end, tipping a long-range effort from Lynen over the bar. From the resulting corner, Puertas then missed a chance to make it 2-0 for Bremen with a close-range header. His miss was punished straight away: just on the hour mark, in a crowded penalty area, Sambi Lokonga showed brilliant individual skill before rifling the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

The equaliser lifted the Rothosen even further, and they pressed relentlessly towards the Werder goal. 12 minutes later, they took a fully deserved lead. Vieira swung in a free-kick from the right towards the penalty spot, where Vuskovic produced an outrageous back-heel volley to make it 2-1 and send the Volksparkstadion wild. However, out of nowhere, Bremen hit back with a cleanly executed counter-attack, with Hamburg-born Njinmah levelling proceedings. The 109th Bundesliga Nordderby was turning into a memorable one, with both sides going for the win – and it was HSV who landed the decisive blow. In the 84th minute, captain Yussuf Poulsen scored his first ever HSV goal, finishing from a Muheim assist to restore the lead at 3-2. The combination between the two second-half substitutes sent the Volkspark into raptures once again. With the crowd behind them, the Rothosen held firm at the end of an incredible derby to secure their fourth league win of the season and a hugely celebrated victory over their rivals.

STATISTICS:

Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – Capaldo, L. Vuskovic, Torunarigha – Jatta (82' Gocholeishvili), Sabi Lokonga, Remberg, Soumahoro (60' Muheim) – Vieira (82' Poulsen), Philippe (60' Königsdörffer), Dompe (90'+2 Balde)

SV Werder Bremen: Backhaus – Sugawara, Pieper, Coulibaly, Friedl – Lynen, Stage – Puertas (79' Boniface), Schmidt, Grüll (87' Mbangula) – Topp (68' Njinmah)

Goals: 0-1 Stage (45'), 1-1 Sambi Lokonga (63'), 2-1 Vuskovic (75'), 2-2 Njinmah (78'), 3-2 Poulsen (84')

Attendance: 56,300 (sold out)

Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Niederkassel)

Yellow cards: Vuskovic, Remberg / Stage, Topp, Grüll, Friedl, Coulibaly, Schmid