Match report

HSV in last-gasp 1-0 victory

On Monday evening, HSV overcame Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth thanks to an Aaron Hunt strike five minutes from time.

Hamburger SV took three points from Matchday 24 after defeating Greuther Fürth on Monday, after captain Aaron Hunt scored the winner in the 85th minute. Until then, the game seemed to be headed towards a draw, with the visitors starting the better side but Hamburg becoming more of a threat as time rolled on. However, the course of the game was changed in the 67th minute, as Julian Green received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card. Die Rothosen took advantage of the extra man and were able to create a number of chances late on, with Hunt clinching the winner with a close-range effort.

The first half was full of individual battles.

Nothing to separate the sides in the first half...

Hannes Wolf made two changes to the side which faced Regensburg on Matchday 23. Aaron Hunt (returning from a torn hamstring injury) and former Fürth player Khaled Narey replaced Berkay Özcan, who dropped to the bench, and the suspended Orel Mangala. Gotoku Sakai played in Magala’s number 6 role, as Narey moved to right wing back. After Julian Pollersbeck signalled of a thigh injury during the warm up, Tom Mickel started in goal.

Hannes Wolf’s men started positively in their search for an early goal, with Pierre-Michel Lasogga a focal point of the attack. The striker had two good chances to open the scoring inside fifteen minutes, but wasn’t able to convert either. The visitors showed their first signs of getting on the score sheet mid-way through the first half. Fürth’s pressing high up the field caused Hamburg to cede possession in dangerous areas, but the HSV defence were disciplined at the back and were able to prevent going behind. With much of the game played in the centre of the park and including a lot of one-on-one battles, it was unsurprising that the first half ended goalless.

Aaron Hunt returned to action after a torn hamstring and scored the match-winning goal in the 85th minute.

... and a last-grasp winner!

HSV still didn’t find their rhythm even after the break. Thanks to a well organised Fürth defence and a below-par Hamburg performance, it was the away side which started the second half in a more threatening manner. In the 67th minute however, the game was turned on its head as former HSV player Julian Green was shown a second yellow card for simulation in the Hamburg penalty area. The visitors have a right to be disappointed with the decision, as replays showed that the winger was already standing in an offside position upon receiving the ball, and the play should therefore have been called back. Even with a man advantage, Hamburg were unable to assert their dominance, until Tatsuya Ito entered the game as a substitution. His creativity and burst of energy proved dangerous for the disadvantaged Fürth, but Die Rothosen were still unable to capitalise on chances created by the Japanese winger. The game looked set to finish as a goalless draw, until Aaron Hunt was able to connect with Narey’s cross from the right and put his side into the lead – a goal which was definitely worth the wait for the HSV fans and saw the side move to second in the table, heightening the excitement for next weekend’s city derby at Millenrtor-Stadion.

Match details:

Hamburger SV: Mickel- Narey, Bates, van Drongelen, Santos - Sakai - Jatta (73. Ito), Holtby (46. Jung), Hunt, Hwang (38. Özcan) - Lasogga

Greuther Fürth: Burchert - Sauer, Magyar, M. Caligiuri, Wittek - Jaeckel - Seguin (80. Gugganig), Ernst (89. Atanga), Green, Redondo (80. Reese) - Keita-Ruel

Goals: 1:0 Hunt (85.)

Attendance:36.560

Referee: Christian Dingert (Lebecksmühle)

Yellow cards:Jung (66.), Narey (90.) / Green (58.), Wittek (73.), Keita-Ruel (88.)

Yellow-Red cards: - / Green (67.)

Red cards: - / -