Match report

HSV beat Fürth 2-0 to record fifth home win of the season

Thanks to goals from Meffert and Glatzel, as well as a penalty save from Heuer Fernandes, the Rothosen picked up their fifth home win so far this term with a 2-0 victory against SpVgg Greuther Fürth.

Hamburger SV beat SpVgg Greuther Fürth 2-0 in front of 55,800 fans at the Volksparkstadion on Saturday (21st October). Although the Rothosen had a difficult start to the game, goals from Meffert (16’) and Glatzel (45’+4) set them on the path to victory. It could have been more than just the two goals for HSV, had they converted some of their chances in the second half. The victory was even under threat at one point, but Heuer Fernandes kept his clean sheet intact by saving a Fürth penalty and therefore played a major role in the important home win.

Lots of work for Ramos & Co.: HSV had to work hard both with the ball on the ground and in the air to gain the upper hand over Fürth.

HSV lose two players to injury...

Head coach Tim Walter only made one change to the Hamburger SV starting XI that ran out against SV Wehen Wiesbaden prior to the international break, with Dompé coming in for Öztunali on the left-wing. HSV aimed to get their fifth home victory of the season, but the start of the game was far from ideal for the Rothosen given that Walter was forced to make two changes within the first 15 minutes of the game: unfortunately, Van der Brempt was forced off within the first ten minutes with a thigh injury and skipper Reis could not carry on, following an awkward fall onto his shoulder after a challenge from Michalski.

However, this double setback for HSV certainly did not seem to discourage them; following a short corner, Bénes’ dangerous cross found Meffert in the middle, who got to the ball ahead of the Fürth goalkeeper and nodded it into the back of the net to give HSV the breakthrough (16’). Fürth then went straight up the other end of the pitch, when Green forced Heuer Fernandes into a straight-forward save, but that didn’t do anything to tone down the celebratory atmosphere at the Volksparkstadion (18’). The Rothosen were consistently strong in individual battles and showed the necessary aggression to keep Fürth at bay. That was no easy task because the away side looked dangerous on the attack at times – such as in 41st minute when Heuer Fernandes was called into action to deny Abiama’s headed effort. In the ten minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half, due to the two injuries and the VAR check following Jatta’s challenge on Asta, Jatta and Glatzel both had big chances, before Hamburg’s number 9 got on the end of Pherai’s cross and poked the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal in the fourth minute of added time, doubling the Rothosen’s lead before the break.

A fourth home win without conceding in a row for HSV –thanks to another fantastic goalkeeping performance from Daniel Heuer Fernandes, who saved a Hrgota penalty in the scene pictured above.

...but still record a special home win

It was clear that the goal just before half-time hurt Fürth, who made a triple substitution at the break. However, HSV remained on top in the game, creating several big chances through good passages of play. Jatta and Dompé had the lion’s share of these chances in this period of the game and combined well to create opportunities, but both failed to convert them into a third HSV goal.

Fürth were then gifted a chance to get back into the game all of a sudden, when Ramos fouled Srbeny in the penalty area (70’). However, Hrgota’s effort from the spot was saved well by Heuer Fernandes, causing the Volksparkstadion to erupt in celebration once more. The penalty save seemed to dispirit the away team and HSV had numerous opportunities to put the game to bed once and for all, but the Rothosen failed to capitalise on Fürth pushing high up the field with their counter attacks. Glatzel and substitute Königsdörffer both had chances nearing the end of the game, but they didn’t manage to get a third goal. However, this did not dampen the jubilation after the final whistle; the players and the fans celebrated a fifth home win in five games together. With this victory, HSV are now unbeaten in 15 league matches at Volkspark (W13, D2) and have not lost at home for exactly one year. The 2-0 victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth was therefore not only a well-deserved victory, but also a special one, which was duly celebrated long after full time.

Match facts:

Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes - van der Brempt (8' Heyer), Hadzikadunic, Ramos, Muheim - Meffert, Reis (15' Pherai), Benes - Jatta, Glatzel, Dompe (76' Königsdörffer)

SpVgg Greuther Fürth: Urbig - Dietz (46. Kiomourtzoglou), Michalski, Itter - Asta (67. Srbeny), Wagner (46. Petkov), Green, Haddadi (46. Meyerhöfer), Hrgota (78. Sieb) - Abiama, Lemperle

Goals: 1-0 Meffert (16'), 2-0 Glatzel (45'+4.)

Attendance: 55,800

Referee: Robert Schröder (Hannover)

Yellow cards: Heyer, Jatta / Itter, Lemperle, Michalski, Abiama