Match report

HSV suffer frustrating 4-1 defeat to 1. FC Köln

In a dramatic Bundesliga encounter between the two promoted sides, HSV were beaten in a frustrating match in which they finished with nine men.

On Sunday, 2nd November, Hamburger SV were beaten 4-1 away at 1. FC Köln in their Bundesliga matchday 9 meeting. The two sides played out a hard-fought first half in front of 50,000 spectators at a sold-out RheinEnergieSTADION. Köln were more dangerous going forward and took the lead through Ragnar Ache (25’). The second period was extremely eventful. Florian Kainz firstly made it 2-0 from a free kick (48’), before Jean-Luc Dompe halved the deficit (61’). HSV had the ball in the net twice more through Fábio Vieira and Luka Vuskovic, but the goals were disallowed for a foul and an offside respectively. The Rothosen did not get the result they deserved after matching the hosts in every department, and were reduced to nine men after red cards for both Immanuël Pherai and Vieira. They then conceded twice in the 12-minute period of injury time. The goals came from Said El Mala (90’+4) and Jakub Kaminski (90’+9).

HSV twice denied Köln the opener in the 25th minute, before the hosts did take the lead at the third attempt.

A bitter blow …

Head coach Merlin Polzin made four changes to his side from the 1-0 DFB-Pokal second-round victory over 1. FC Heidenheim. Daniel Heuer Fernandes, William Mikelbrencis, Sambi Lokonga and Dompe came in for Daniel Peretz, Giorgi Gocholeishvili, Jordan Torunarigha and Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit. The early stages were tactical and hard-fought. The hosts were having slightly more of the game and recorded the first few efforts on goal, but Kainz’s volley sailed narrowly wide, while Isak Johannesson’s free kick also did not test HSV goalkeeper Heuer Fernandes. However, it was a different story in the 25th minute, when the Rothosen did concede the opener in a frustrating manner after giving the ball away. Vuskovic blocked Kainz’s initial shot, before Daniel Elfadli cleared Linton Maina’s follow-up almost off the line. However, Ache was there at the third attempt to poke home and send the Köln fans wild.

Almost immediately after the first goal, the hosts had two more opportunities through Kaminski from a tight angle and Kristoffer Lund from distance. HSV then threatened at the other end for the first time with two chances in quick succession. Mikelbrencis struck the ball on the volley after Rayan Philippe’s cross from the left, but it hit his own man in Ransford Königsdörffer. Less than a minute later, Dompe performed his trademark move as he cut in from the left and tried a curling effort, but he was denied by Köln ‘keeper Marwin Schwäbe. The Rothosen now began to take the initiative against the Billy Goats, who were occasionally defending man-to-man. Philippe and Königsdörffer also had efforts on goal just before half time. Köln, though, remained dangerous in what was now a lively encounter and had a number of half chances, but could not find a second before the break.

HSV had two players sent off in a dramatic second half, which was packed with controversy.

…and an extremely eventful second half

Just after half time, HSV had a huge chance for the equaliser. Dompe played the ball through to Lokonga, whose low shot was saved by Schwäbe in a one-on-one situation. Instead of being level, HSV then found themselves 2-0 down virtually straight afterwards. Kainz lifted a free kick into the top corner from around 20 yards out. There was another blow for HSV soon after. Vieira seemed to have found an immediate response with a low shot into the bottom corner, but, after a long VAR review, the goal was chalked off. After a breathless first five minutes of the second half came a long interruption and a harsh decision against HSV, but the team once again refused to fold. In the 61st minute, Dompé’s cross towards the far post found its way in, with substitute Yussuf Poulsen cleverly stepping aside, making it 2-1. It was the Frenchman’s 50th goal involvement in his 100th competitive appearance for HSV.

In a wild contest played in driving rain, the Rothosen now had the momentum and were much sharper. In the 72nd minute the ball hit the back of the Köln net again, but Vuskovic was marginally offside as he turned in Philippe’s pass and the equaliser was ruled out. HSV more than deserved to be level at that point, yet moments later El Mala lifted a bouncing ball narrowly over the bar at the other end. Soon after, HSV went down to ten men — in keeping with the evening’s misfortune. Pherai, who had just come on, picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, slipping into his opponent on the slick turf for the second. And the setbacks kept coming. After Gocholeishvili headed a huge chance over from close range, Vieira was also dismissed shortly afterwards, receiving a second yellow for complaining to referee Daniel Schlager’s about Schwäbe’s time-wasting from a goal-kick. Bülter then missed an chance to make it 3-1 before the game headed into 12 minutes of stoppage time. Incredibly, the nine-man Rothosen still threatened, with Nicolai Remberg forcing another effort in the 94th minute. But that proved to be their final push, as El Mala converted on the counter-attack to make it 3-1 and Kaminski added a fourth to seal the 4-1 scoreline. Despite an exceptional show of character, HSV were left to swallow a bitterly frustrating defeat.

Match statistics:

1. FC Köln: Schwäbe – Schmied (46’ Sebulonsen), Martel, Özkacar – Kaminski, Johannesson (67’ Heintz), Huseinbasic, Lund, Kainz (67’ Krauß) – Ache (72' Bülter), Maina (67’ El Mala)

Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – Remberg , Vuskovic, Elfadli – Mikelbrencis (77’ Gocholeishvili), Lokonga (90’ Rössing Lelesiit), Fabio Vieira, Muheim – Philippe (77’ Pherai), Königsdörffer (59’ Poulsen), Dompe (90’ Glatzel)

Goals: 1-0 Ache (25’), 2-0 Kainz (48’), 2-1 Dompe (61’), 3-1 El Mala (90’+4), 4-1 Kaminski (90’+9)

Spectators: 50,000 (sold out)

Referee: Daniel Schlager

Yellow cards: Bülter / Remberg, Poulsen

Second yellows: - / Vieira, Pherai

Red cards: - / -