Match report

0-4: HSV trounced at home by RB Leipzig

HSV were thrashed 4-0 at home to RB Leipzig, in front of 52,998 inside the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Saturday afternoon. A 66th minute penalty opened the floodgates for the visitors.

On Saturday afternoon (17.09), HSV tasted bitter defeat for the second time in only three games, losing 0-4 at home to RB Leipzig who hail from Sachsen. HSV looked the likelier side to score for long periods, had more of the ball but once again as was the case so often last season were missing the final telling pass and prowess in front of goal. A 66th minute penalty, a free kick (72.), a counter attack (77.) and an injury time strike did for home coach Bruno Labbadia and his men.

Aaron Hunt should have opened the scoring on the stroke of half time. — Aaron Hunt had a superb chance to break the deadlock seconds before the break. Had he done so the game could have ended very differently.

Missed sitter...

Bruno Labbadia made three changes to the side which went down 1-3 in Leverkusen last time out. The former striker welcomed back skipper Johan Djourou and fellow defender Gideon Jung to the team following injury. Summer signing Douglas Santos made his home debut at left back. The Rothosen made a bright start to the game while Leipzig sat back waiting to launch their lightning quick counter attacks which they did. The first chance of the game came after a quarter of an hour from a set piece, as home keeper Adler somehow managed to scrape a Bernado header out of the top left hand corner following a corner taken by Demme. HSV looked slightly the better team however as they combined nicely, got forward on many occasions and had won 4 to 1 corners inside the opening 20 minutes. The home side pressed forward towards the end of the opening half and on the stroke of half time should have taken the lead after Kostic had broken at speed down the right before producing a wonderful pinpoint low ball to the feet of Hunt who was handily placed five metres out from goal. Somehow RB stopper Gulacsi managed to save his effort by using a foot. The game was goalless at half time.

Adler had to reach behind him four times. How frustrating!

... punished 4-0 in the end

HSV stuck to their first half plan as the second half began. The Rothosen looked confident on the ball in midfield and used their lightning quick wingers whenever possible. As has been so often the case they lacked the final killer punch, the defence-splitting telling pass and the ability to take created chances. They threatened the Leipzig goal but could not capitalise, as was the case as a fizzing shot from outside the box from Sakai narrowly flew over the target. All the time the visitors remained calm waiting for a chance to hit their hosts on the break. That chance came on 65 minutes as Adler brought down Kampka inside the Hamburg box. The resulting penalty was coolly slotted home by Forsberg who ran over to celebrate with the visiting fans. As Leipzig made it 2-0 through a header by Orban on 72 minutes the writing was on the wall for the Rothosen. On 77 minutes a lapse in concentration saw Hamburg captain Djourou lose possession just inside his own half. Leipzig mounted a superbly swift counter attack which resulted in Werner making i9t 3-0. Selke’s injury time strike was just icing on the cake for the visitors who beat Dortmund at home last weekend and now have HSV as a further scalp. The Rothosen won’t have to wait long for a chance to put things right because they play again on Tuesday night (20.09.16) as they make the long trip south to the Black Forest, where fellow struggler SC Freiburg await them for the first “six-pointer” of the new campaign. That game at the Schwarzwald Stadion kicks off at 8.00 PM. Four days later on Saturday (24 .09 16, 3.30 PM) Labbadia and Co. host odds on title favourites Bayern Munich in Hamburg.

Match details:

HSV: Adler - G. Sakai, Djourou, Spahic, Douglas Santos - Jung, Holtby - N. Müller, Hunt (70. Halilovic), Kostic (83. Gregoritsch) - Wood (83. Waldschmidt)

RB Leipzig: Gulacsi - Bernardo, Orban, Compper, Halstenberg - Ilsanker, Demme - Keita (46. Werner), Forsberg - Sabitzer (62. Kaiser) - Y. Poulsen (80. Selke)

Goals: 0:1 Forsberg (66., pen), 0:2 Orban (72.), 0:3 Werner (77.), 0:4 Selke (90.+1)

Att: 52.998

Referee: Dr. Robert Kampka (Mainz)

Booked: Sakai (8.), Spahic (13.), Djourou (51.), Adler (65.), Wood (70.) / Compper (74.)