Match report
17.01.26
HSV play out goalless draw with Gladbach
Despite a dominant first half and a host of chances, HSV had to settle for a point against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Hamburger SV began the second half of the Bundesliga season with a goalless draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in front of 57,000 supporters at a sold-out Volksparkstadion on Saturday afternoon (17th January). HSV set the tone early and produced a dominant opening 45 minutes, piling on the pressure and creating chance after chance, but were unable to find the breakthrough their performance deserved. After the break, the contest became more even, with both sides ultimately settling for a point in an engaging but scoreless encounter.
Chances in abundance
Head coach Merlin Polzin made two changes to his starting line-up from the team that lost 2-1 away at SC Freiburg last time out. Torunarigha replaced the suspended Elfadli, while Königsdörffer came in for the injured Sambi Lokonga, who was sidelined with a calf issue. HSV made a flying start, pressing aggressively and attacking with real intent. A Muheim free-kick from the right was headed straight at Gladbach goalkeeper Nicolas by Remberg from around 12 yards out. Moments later, Königsdörffer forced Nicolas into a save with a low effort, before Dompe drove the rebound into the side netting from a tight angle. Muheim followed up shortly afterwards with a long-range attempt that flew well over the bar. HSV went close again in the 13th minute after a flowing passing move, with Torunarigha releasing Vieira down the byline. His driven cross-shot flashed across the face of goal and narrowly evaded Königsdörffer arriving in the middle. Five minutes later, Hamburg carved open the Gladbach defence once more through slick combination play, Downs slipping Capaldo clean through on goal, only for Nicolas to deny him again. The Gladbach keeper was also alert around the 25-minute mark, pushing Remberg’s shot from distance wide before Muheim dragged the rebound past the post.
Despite HSV’s dominance – the Rothosen had 13 shots to Borussia’s none at that stage – the game remained goalless. The hosts were also far sharper in the challenges, winning 70% of their duels, but still couldn’t turn their superiority into a lead. Gladbach’s first real effort came in the 27th minute, when Tabakovic volleyed over from a tight angle after a cross from Honorat. The tempo then dropped slightly. HSV continued to look for openings and tried their luck from distance, while the visitors began to edge higher up the pitch. However, the Hamburg back line, led by Vuskovic, dealt comfortably with everything that came their way, and the teams went in level at the break.
…but no goals in the end
Neither team made changes at the break, and HSV initially picked up where they had left off, enjoying territorial advantage and looking for openings. Their attempts on goal, however, carried less threat than before. Gladbach remained relatively quiet in attack but were far more solid at the back than during the opening phase of the match. Around the hour mark, HSV created their next clear opening when Dompe danced along the edge of the area and chipped a ball towards the far post, where Downs, unmarked, was unable to generate enough power to trouble Nicolas.
Polzin responded with a double substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Philippe and Gocholeishvili for Königsdörffer and captain Capaldo, who was forced off through injury. Gladbach coach Eugen Polanski also made changes as both sides attempted to inject fresh momentum into a game that was beginning to peter out. The match increasingly developed into a battle in the middle of the park, with neither team willing to take unnecessary risks in possession. For the closing stages, Polzin introduced further attacking options in Rössing-Lelesiit and Glatzel. HSV initially had to withstand pressure at the other end, with Diks heading narrowly wide. At the opposite end, substitute Rössing-Lelesiit tested Nicolas early in the nine minutes of stoppage time, firing a close-range effort at the near post. It proved to be the final notable chance, as the match – like the reverse fixture on matchday 1 – ended goalless.
Match statistics:
Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – Capaldo (67' Gocholeishvili), L. Vuskovic, Torunarigha – Jatta (84' Ramos), Vieira, Remberg, Muheim – Königsdörffer (67' Philippe), Downs (79' Glatzel), Dompe (79' Rössing-Lelesiit)
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Nicolas – Sander, Elvedi, Diks (88' Takai) – Scally, Reitz, Engelhardt, Netz – Honorat (69' Reyna), Neuhaus (69' Castrop) – Tabakovic (90'+2 Machino)
Attendance: 57,000 (sold out)
Referee: Robert Schröder (Hannover)
Yellow cards: Torunarigha / Engelhardt, Diks