SC Freiburg will have to wait to plan their European trips next season. Three days after reaching the final of the Europa League, a tired Breisgauer deservedly lost 2:3 (1:1) at Hamburger SV. This meant they missed early European Cup qualification on the penultimate matchday of the Bundesliga.
Despite the defeat, Freiburg (44) have the best chances in the three-way battle with Eintracht Frankfurt (43) and FC Augsburg (43) for the important seventh place before the season finale against RB Leipzig.
In front of 57,000 spectators in the Volksparkstadion, which was sold out for the 17th time this season, Bakery Jatta put HSV in the lead (14th), Igor Matanovic (16th) equalized shortly afterwards. After the break, Luka Vuskovic (64th) and Fabio Baldé (67th) secured their sixth home win of the season with their goals. Matanovic (87th) could only shorten the score.
HSV can play freely
For HSV there was nothing more at stake in the last game of the season at their home Volksparkstadion. The Bundesliga returnee had already secured his place in the league a week earlier. So the team was able to play freely one year to the day after promotion.
After the 3-1 show of strength in the semi-final second leg of the Europa League against Sporting Braga, Freiburg coach Julian Schuster only changed his team in two positions. At HSV there were only two changes. The outstanding defense chief Vuskovic returned to the starting line-up in what was probably his last home game.
With a view to the Hamburg Olympic referendum on May 31st, the HSV players warmed up in special shirts with the inscription “Hamburg can play big games”. It wasn’t a big game – neither for HSV nor for SC Freiburg. It was entertaining nonetheless.
Despite a show of strength, SC Freiburg is putting pressure on them
The guests initially put pressure on us. In this phase, Vuskovic once again proved to be a rock in Hamburg’s defense and almost single-handedly prevented Freiburg from having clear chances.
The hosts’ lead came as a bit of a surprise. Jatta (14th) scored his first Bundesliga goal from close range. The Hamburgers’ joy didn’t last long. Two minutes after Jatta’s goal, the former St. Paulianer Matanovic with his ninth goal of the season.
What followed: an open game with offensive actions on both sides. The effort to create structure was noticeable on both teams. The most dangerous scene belonged to HSV creative force Fabio Vieira (19th), who was unlucky with a shot against the post.
Remarkable: After just under half an hour, the stands fell silent for ten minutes due to a medical emergency in the HSV North Curve. Already before and at the beginning of the second half, the fans of both sides showed sensitivity in two other emergencies.
HSV with a better start to the second half
The Hamburg team came out of the locker room more energetic after the break. The Freiburg team seemed to be running out of strength after their efforts in the Europa League. This is how HSV came to more and more promising scenes: Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter blocked HSV’s young striker Otto Stange (47th) at the last moment. Ransford Königsdörffer (52nd) narrowly missed from twelve meters in front of the Freiburg goal.
In between, Lukas Kübler (51st) tested HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Otherwise the guests had a hard time. It was Vuskovic (64th) who gave Hamburg the lead. Fabio Baldé (67th), who had recently been substituted, made everything clear. The Freiburgers hardly had anything to counter them. At least Matanovic (87th) managed to catch up with his second goal. Vieira hit the post for HSV (90+5).
