11 minutes of stoppage time and yellow-red
HSV loses crazy start to the year against Freiburg
Updated on January 10, 2026 – 5:43 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Freiburg pressed for a long time, then Hamburger SV rewarded themselves. Before things got completely wild with a penalty and a sending off.
SC Freiburg won 2-1 against Hamburger SV at the start of the year. HSV took the lead shortly after the break with a goal from Luka Vušković (48th). However, it only lasted five minutes. Then Daniel Elfadli fouled Freiburg’s Lucas Höler. Referee Timo Gerach pointed to the penalty spot and sent Elfadli down with yellow-red. Vincenzo Grifo converted the penalty (53′).
In the remaining game time, SC Freiburg pressed and were rewarded shortly before the end of the game by Igor Matanović (83′). In total, due to an injury to HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, there was an injury time of eleven minutes in which Hamburg tried to equalize. With the win, Freiburg jumps to eighth place, Hamburg is in 13th place.
Hamburg, with new striker Damion Downs (on loan from Southampton FC) in the starting line-up, were very lucky in the early stages. SC full-back Lukas Kübler, who appeared free in front of the HSV goal, only hit the crossbar (9th).
The guests, who were missing Fabio Baldé, Anssi Suhonen, Rayan Philippe, Robert Glatzel and Yussuf Poulsen, did not play. Freiburg pushed Hamburg on the defensive almost throughout. In the 19th minute, Lucas Höler missed the next good opportunity for the sports club. Four minutes later, the attacker was again denied by Heuer Fernandes.
It was only towards the end of the first half that Hamburg got better, with the Hanseatic League benefiting from Freiburg’s mistakes in the build-up game. HSV managed a few shots, but it wasn’t really dangerous for SC keeper Noah Atubolu.
That changed right at the start of the second half. After a corner from Miro Muheim, Vušković was there with his head. However, referee Timo Gerach (Landau) needed the goal line technique to recognize the goal. Freiburg responded immediately. After Elfadli fouled Höler, Grifo scored from the spot – even though Heuer Fernandes had his hand on the ball.
Afterwards, the defensive battle of the guests began when they were outnumbered, but Matanović, who was born in Hamburg, still put the SC in the lead.