This means that next Thursday in Berlin and four days later in Hamburg (kick-off 8.30 p.m.) there will be a reunion with HSV club legend Felix Magath, who started the Bundesliga season with the “Old Lady” after a 1-2 defeat on Saturday Borussia Dortmund finished 16th. Third place is Hamburg’s biggest success since relegation four years ago. In the past three seasons, the former Bundesliga “Dino” had finished fourth.
And on Sunday afternoon, too, it initially looked as if the marmot would say hello again on the Elbe. At the break, coach Tim Walter’s team was 1-0 down against Hansa and was fourth at that point.
Walter: “We’re not done yet”
“We had a very, very difficult game. The opponents gave us big problems, especially in the first half. But it was symbolic for our whole season that the lads never stop and keep coming back. You can never write us off. We proved that impressively again today. That’s why I’m really proud of my team and I’m happy for the whole club,” explained Walter in the NDR interview. With regard to the relegation against Hertha, the 46-year-old said: “We’re not done yet. Now we have two bonus games. And we want more.”
Neidhart puts Hansa in the lead
When Walter said these words, a thriller lay behind him that could have ended differently. The HSV fans who had traveled to Rostock had their hearts sinking for the first time after 80 seconds when Hansa’s midfielder Lukas Fröde hit the crossbar of the away goal with a header. If Hamburg was still lucky in this scene, the lightning-fast Danylo Sikan soon punished further carelessness in the defense of the former European Cup winners. The Ukrainian shook off captain Sebastian Schonlau with surprising ease after a pass into the alley and put it across to Nico Neidhart, who only had to push the ball into the empty goal (13′).
HSV harmless in attack
HSV owed such a no-frills attack until half-time. The Walter team set the tone after going behind and had 60 percent possession of the ball in the first 45 minutes. In the front line, however, it lacked penetrating power. Rostock’s keeper Markus Kolke didn’t have to be “the octopus” once before half-time, as the captain is called because of his sometimes spectacular reflexes. His opponent Daniel Heuer Fernandes got more opportunities to prove his qualities. Because the home side were the more dangerous team and had a very good chance to make it 2-0 through John Verhoek in the 33rd minute. The Dutchman just missed the target from a few meters.
At the break, the Bundesliga was a long way off for Hamburg. The equal points competitor Darmstadt 98 already led 3:0 against SC Paderborn. And Werder Bremen, who started the season finale in second place with a three-point lead over HSV, were up 1-0 against Regensburg.