Match Report
14.04.24
HSV score last-minute equaliser in Magdeburg
After an El Hankouri brace saw the hosts take a 2-0 lead, HSV fought their way back into the game to earn a point, despite playing with ten men for over an hour, with goals coming from Schonlau and Meffert.
Hamburger SV drew 2-2 away to 1. FC Magdeburg in dramatic style on Sunday (14th April), on matchday 29 of the 2. Bundesliga. In front of a 27,000-strong and sold-out crowd at the MDCC-Arena, the visitors got off to a solid start, taking lots of shots on goal. However, they then went a man down, and shortly after, a goal down. Ramos received a red card, El Hankouri scored from the resulting penalty and made it 1-0 (27’). The midfielder converted a second penalty just before half time to double his side’s advantage. (45’+7). It was an even contest after the restart, before HSV took complete control in the final 30 minutes, getting a goal back through Schonlau (67’), making numerous further opportunities for themselves, two of which found the woodwork, before Meffert (90’+4) scored what was a well-deserved equaliser in injury time.
A tough two goals to take...
HSV head coach Steffen Baumgart made four changes to the side who won 2-1 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern last time out. Ramos, Pherai and Jatta replaced the injured Hadzikadunic, Poreba and Suhonen. After serving his suspension, Muheim returned to the team in place of Katterbach, who was named on the bench. The team, lined up in a 3-2-4-1 formation, began strongly, as a trio of chances fell to Benes, Nemeth, and Pherai just a few seconds in, but these were all blocked. Pherai then had another go with a driven effort that called Reimann into action for the first time (1’). Benes then shot wide from the edge of the box (7’), before Magdeburg’s attacking and high-pressure strategy pushed back HSV and saw the hosts grow into the game. They did so on two counts: Centre forward Schuler got on the end of a long ball and ran through unopposed on goal and went to ground after being struck in the back by Ramos’ elbow. Referee Dr. Robert Kampka pointed to the spot and show a straight red to the Portuguese. El Hankouri coolly converted said penalty into the bottom-left corner and opened the scoring (26’).
Knowing his side would be outnumbered for over an hour, Baumgart reacted by sacrificing a midfielder in Pherai to bring on another centre back, Ambrosius. Hamburg continued to concentrate on defensive stability, whilst the hosts saw plenty of the ball and had further chances. Bockhorn had two chances in quick succession, but keeper Raab was equal to both (38’). He also came out on top of a one-on-one situation with Schuler (41’). At the other end, HSV almost found an equaliser: After Königsdörffer tested Reimann with a powerful shot at the near post, the resulting corner sailed to the back post which Reimann was eventually able to clear off the line after a bit of pinball in the box (43’). As if that wasn’t already enough for what had been a chaotic opening 45 minutes: next, Ambrosius missed a big headed chance after Benes sent it in from a free kick (45’+3), before Bockhorn won another penalty in the HSV box after being clipped by the onrushing Raab. In the seventh minute of first-half injury time, El Hankouri scored his second spot kick, this time going low and right, making it 2-0 at half time.
...and then a brilliant comeback
Two unchanged sides came out for the second half and continued to get forward. First, a Jatta effort towards the bottom-right corner was blocked at the last second, then at the other end, Raab was called into action to routinely block Conde’s shot that went down the middle (57’). Baumgart made a double change on the hour mark: Dompe and Glatzel replaced Jatta and Nemeth, who both brought fresh legs into the attack. The former posed a threat on goal almost immediately, driving off the wing and into the centre before firing a long-range effort that went just wide of the post (63’). Skipper Schonlau was more accurate a few minutes later, as he powerfully shot on the turn from the edge of the six-yard box and hammered the ball into the back of the net: 2-1 (67’).
After finding a way back into the game, HSV kept their foot on the gas. First, Benes struck the woodwork from the edge of the box (71’), and then was only denied by a good stop from Reimann a few minutes later (77’). At this, their best stage of the game, you couldn’t tell that HSV were playing with one man fewer, who continued to run and refused to tire. Baumgart’s side continued to put constant pressure on Magdeburg, who were looking like they were beginning to tire, and the visitors had several chances to get an equaliser: Glatzel’s header was saved by Reimann (83’), Reis’ header then found the bar in what was the 20th occasion on which HSV had struck the woodwork this season (88’), and Muheim could only find the side netting from a promising position. In what was a dominant phase for HSV, who by this point had had 21 shots on goal compared to just 14 by the hosts, an equaliser wouldn’t have been anything less than they deserved. That mean that it was only right that the football gods were somewhat on HSV’s side this afternoon – Meffert nodded home an equaliser from close range deep into injury time to make it 2-2! The dramatic equaliser was celebrated equally as dramatically and secured HSV an important point in the race for promotion. Above all, it was an important point for the excellent morale shown in Magdeburg this afternoon.
Match facts:
1. FC Magdeburg: Reimann - Hoti, Gnaka, Heber - Bockhorn, El Hankouri (90'), Conde, Bell - Atik (81' Nollenberger), Schuler (81' Lawrence), Teixeira (68' Ito)
Hamburger SV: Raab - Ramos, Schonlau, Muheim - Meffert, Reis - Jatta (61' Dompe), Pherai (30' Ambrosius), Benes, Königsdörffer (84' Okugawa) - Nemeth (61' Glatzel)
Goals: 1-0 El Hankouri (34', pen.), 2-0 El Hankouri (45'+7, pen), 2-1 Schonlau (67'), 2-2 Meffert (90'+4)
Attendance: 27.000 (sold out)
Referee: Dr. Robert Kampka (Mainz)
Yellow cards: Schuler, Conde / -
Red cards: - / Ramos