Lemperle scores a winning record
©IMAGO
TSG Hoffenheim underlined their Champions League ambitions with a club record and extended Hamburger SV’s negative streak. With the deserved 2:1 (2:1), coach Christian Ilzer’s team achieved their 17th success of the season – more than in any of the Kraichgauer’s Bundesliga seasons.
Hamburg have been waiting for a win for six games and have only picked up two points during this time. Nevertheless, they are still five points ahead of their city rivals FC St. Pauli in the relegation zone with three games still to play.
Fisnik Asllani (19th minute) and Tim Lemperle (45th) scored for the guests before the break and completed the success, which saw TSG climb to fourth place for the time being. Robert Glatzel (34th) equalized with a penalty kick that national goalkeeper Oliver Baumann gave him.
HSV were at eye level in the opening quarter of an hour
In front of 57,000 spectators in the once again sold-out Volksparkstadion, Hamburg tried from the start to forget the bitter northern derby (1:3) at SV Werder Bremen the previous week. In the first quarter of an hour they kept up with the favorites from Kraichgau. Ransford Königsdörffer in particular had some promising moments, but HSV did not have any clear chances to score.
The Hoffenheim team appeared more mature overall and gained more and more of the game after 15 minutes. The guests took the lead with their first dangerous action. Vladimír Coufal prevailed on the right. Asllani used his free-standing cross from close range to score his tenth goal of the season. Once again, the HSV defense showed that it cannot compensate for the absence of the injured young star and defense chief Luka Vuskovic. Miro Muheim, who was injured in Bremen, was also missing on the left side.
TSG then controlled the game, but the hosts still managed to equalize with active help from Ozan Kabak. Glatzel took advantage of Kabak’s mistake and ran towards goalkeeper Baumann alone. The HSV striker touched the national player and fell. Baumann saw yellow, Glatzel converted the penalty for his third goal of the season. The Hoffenheim team tried to correct the setback quickly. Lemperle took the lead again before the break. And again the newly promoted team’s defense didn’t look good.
After the break things get livelier between HSV and TSG Hoffenheim
In the second half, HSV pushed for another equalizer. Königsdörffer (48th) quickly had the first opportunity, but missed from a promising position. Overall, Hoffenheim played more structured and powerful.
When both fan camps temporarily stopped their support due to an emergency, Bazoumana Touré (54th) was denied by HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Despite Hoffenheim’s dominance, HSV had the best opportunity after the break when Bakery Jatta (74th) headed the ball over the TSG goal with complete freedom.
