13.01.2018
HSV leave Augsburg empty-handed
Hamburger SV’s opening Bundesliga game of 2018 ended in a 1-0 defeat to FC Augsburg.
The first match of the Rückrunde saw HSV lose 1-0 to Augsburg on Saturday afternoon. Ja-Cheol Koo scored the only goal of the game in front of 30,000 spectators at the WWK-ARENA right on the stroke of half time, handing the hosts an advantage at the break despite a fairly even opening 45. In the second half though, Augsburg took confidence from their lead and looked the more dangerous team, while the Rothosen failed to force a significant chance to equalise through, and the clock ran out on a potential comeback.
Augsburg’s Ja-Cheol Koo decided the game with his header
HSV coach Markus Gisdol had to improvise with his first team of 2018, as potential starters Ekdal, Hunt and Arp all missed out through injury or illness. The boss also made a tactical change, with the Rothosen lining up in a less familiar 4-4-2 formation featuring Julian Pollersbeck between the sticks, having been backed as the new first-choice goalkeeper in the new year. Hamburg started on the front foot in Bavaria, but it was the hosts who looked the bigger threat forward, particularly Michael Gregoritsch, who had the best opportunity to open the scoring in the opening exchanges. Fortunately for Gisdol’s side, a last-ditch Diekmeier challenge denied the FCA striker from testing Pollersbeck. Clear-cut chances were few and far between, but when the ball did hit the back of the net, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for HSV. A cross from Caiuby in the 45th minute was met by the head of Ja-Cheol Koo, whose powerful finish couldn’t be kept out.
There was no way through for Bobby Wood & Co. in attack
The timing of the goal knocked the wind out of the Rothosen and they failed to find their feet after the restart. FCA controlled the game, leaving HSV chasing the ball and the game. It wasn’t until the final ten minutes of the match that Gisdol’s men started to offer a little more in the final third, although Augsburg had almost put the result to bed by that point, with Gregoritsch clipping a driven effort from Philipp Max onto the post. However, with just a one-goal lead for the hosts, there was always the hope that Hamburg could snatch an equaliser. Kostic did have the ball in the back of the net in the 86th minute, but the flag went up for offside against Hahn, who had laid the ball off to be fired home. A couple of long-range efforts from Janjicic and then Hahn in the closing stages only stung the palms of goalkeeper Hitz, as Augsburg saw out the final minutes to claim all three points.
MATCH FACTS:
FC Augsburg:
Hitz - Opare, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Max - Khedira, D. Baier (93’ Kacar) - Koo, Gregoritsch, Caiuby - Cordova (68’ Schmid)
Hamburger SV:
Pollersbeck- Diekmeier, Mavraj, Papadopoulos, Douglas - Salihovic (68’ Waldschmidt), Jung, Janjicic (84’ Schipplock), Kostic - Wood (74’ Ito), Hahn
Goals:
1-0 Koo (45’)
Attendance:
30,000
Referee:
Manuel Gräfe (Berlin)
Yellow cards:
Khedira / Douglas
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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