Match Report
21.01.17
0-1 - 10-man HSV lose in Wolfsburg
Despite a gritty performance, HSV lost 0-1 away to VfL Wolfsburg on Bundesliga matchday 17, thanks to late goal by Germany striker Mario Gomez at the sold out VW Arena (30,000) on Saturday afternoon. HSV’s Albin Ekdal was sent off for a second booking (33.).
HSV fought hard on Saturday afternoon (21.01), but lost away to VfL Wolfsburg 01-1 on matchday 17 as the Bundesliga season resumed. Although being a man down after Albin Ekdal had been sent off for a second bookable offence on 33 minutes, the visitors matched the home side for long stretches of the game. Late in the game however the home side upped the pressure and broke the deadlock on 83 minutes through Mario Gomez. That was the only goal of the game.
Ekdal receives second booking and is off…
HSV coach Markus Gisdol chose his tried and tested 4-3-2-1 system in Wolfsburg, making four changes to the team which beat Schalke 2-1 at home on matchday 16. He swapped his entire back four. Gisdol replaced injured regular Gideon Jung with new signing Mavraj and fellow new signing Kyriakos Papadopoulos took the place of Johan Djourou, who injured himself during the warm up before the game. Up front Bobby Wood got the nod over Michael Gregoritsch and no longer suspended midfielder Lewis Holtby played behind the front man.
The game began at a fast tempo and HSV looked keen to recreate the form shown leading up to the winter break during the opening fifteen minutes. Playing in their pink away strip the visitors missed chances through Filip Kostic (6.) and Lewis Holtby (27.). VfL Wolfsburg also threatened through Yunus Malli (8.) and Mario Gomez (20.). On 33 minutes however the game took a turn for the worse for HSV and their travelling sold out contingent of 3,000 travelling fans. Albin Ekdal, who had already been booked took the legs from under Wolves new signing Ntep and was promptly sent off, leaving his team mates a man down for around an hour.
… Wolves on the break
The Rothosen emerged unchanged for the second half and coach Gisdol kept faith in the 4-4-1 system, but moved Holtby to defensive midfield. Anyone in the capacity crowd of 30,000 who thought the ten-man visitors would just sit back and defend was wrong. HSV continued to get forward and in doing so ease the pressure on their defence.
Nicolai Müller looked to have been brought down inside the home area on 54 minutes but the whistle of match referee Zwayer remained silent. Kostic was a constant threat down the left wing. The Wolves struggled against a well organised Hamburg defence and it took until the 69th minutes for them to threaten again as the missed a chance following a corner taken by Rodriguez which was kept out by a reflex save by HSV stopper Mathenia. 14minutes later Lady Luck turned her back on HSV after Bobby Wood gave the ball away after being found by Kostic in the Wolfsburg area. The home side instantly changed from defence to attack and another new signing Paul-Georges Ntep capitalised on HSV’s momentary lapse of concentration. He set up Gomez who couldn’t and didn’t miss with a simple tap in (83.). The Rothosen tried their hardest but failed to equalise even though everyone agreed that a point would have been well deserved. Now Gisdol and Co. face FC Ingolstadt at the Volksparkstadion next Saturday (28.01.17, 3.30PM) on matchday 18.
Match details:
VfL Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Seguin, Bruma, R. Rodriguez, Gerhardt - Guilavogui, Luiz Gustavo - D. Caligiuri (68. Vieirinha), Malli, Ntep (89. Blaszczykowski) - Gomez
HSV: Mathenia - G. Sakai, Papadopoulos, Mavraj, Douglas Santos - Ekdal, Ostrzolek (84. Gregoritsch) - N. Müller, Holtby, Kostic - Wood
Goal: 1:0 Gomez (83.)
Att: 30.000 (soldout)
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Berlin)
Booked: Benaglio (33.), Gustavo (85.) / Ekdal (28.), Ostrzolek (37.)
Sent off: - / Ekdal (33, second booking)