match report

HSV downed 3-0 by Holstein Kiel on opening day

HSV were stunned in their 2. Bundesliga opener, losing 3-0 to Holstein Kiel. After several missed chances in the first half, the visitors seized the opportunity in the to run out convincing winners.

Die Rothosen suffered a gut-wrenching defeat to Holstein Kiel in front of a sell-out crowd on the opening day of the 2018/19 season. The “Storks” from Kiel taught the hosts a lesson in how to finish after a series of wasted chances by HSV in the first half. Jonas Meffert put the visitors in front with a well-struck curling effort ten minutes into the second half, before David Kinsombi doubled Kiel’s lead in the 78th minute. The final blow came in the 90th minute through Mathias Honsak.

HIGH-TEMPO START...

Christian Titz made just one change to the team that beat AS Monaco last week, with Tatsuya Ito coming into the starting XI for the injured captain Aaron Hunt. The Japanese winger proved a threat down the left-hand side with his quick dribbling and unpredictability. It took just three minutes for him to carve out the first chance of the game, as he paced down the left, before cutting inside on his right foot – his curling shot flying inches wide of the Kiel goal. The game continued at a high tempo, with further chances falling to Jairo (8’), Holtby (12’) and Narey (19’ & 35’). But HSV lacked a clinical edge struggled to make their dominance count. Instead of sitting back and defending, Kiel reacted positively to create chances of their own, though they were unable to penetrate a sturdy HSV defence.

As the game progressed, Kiel assumed more and more control with the likes of Lee and Mathias Honsak, who was denied at point-blank range by a brave Sakai challenge, causing problems. Unchallenged at the next opportunity, Honsak fired narrowly wide of Julian Pollersbeck’s goal before the teams went in to the break on level terms.

Clinical finishing pays off

Holstein Kiel flew out of the blocks in the second half with a double chance from Lee and Janni Luca Serra. The lead would have been theirs but for a stunning reflex save from Pollersbeck to clear off the line. At the other end, Narey tested Kiel keeper Kenneth Kronholm with a powerful strike, tipped over the bar. The moment proved a rare glimpse at goal in an otherwise nervy half for Die Rothosen and their profligacy in front of goal was soon punished when Kiel’s Jonas Meffert curled a strike past a helpless Pollersbeck into the top corner to make it 1-0. HSV coach Titz reacted by introducing Pierre-Michelle Lasogga.

HSV probed with chances from Janjicic and Narey again, but lacked the clinical edge to level the scores. The sucker punch came from substitute David Kinsombi, who tapped into an empty net after a square ball across goal from Lee. HSV struggled to fight back and in the dying moments of the game, Honsak wrapped up a convincing win with a clinically-executed counter attack.

Match stats:

Hamburger SV: Pollersbeck - Sakai, Bates (57' David), van Drongelen, Santos - Steinmann - Narey, Holtby, Janjicic (83' Moritz), Ito - Jairo (57' Lasogga)

Holstein Kiel: Kronholm - Dehm (70' Herrmann), Schmidt, Wahl, J. van den Bergh - Mühling, Meffert - Schindler, J.-S. Lee (81' Mörschel), Honsak - Serra (70' Kinsombi)

Goals: 0-1 Meffert (56'), 0-2 Kinsombi (78'), Honsak (90')

Spectators: 57,000

Referee: Marco Fritz (Korb)

Yellow cards: Steinmann (71') / Meffert (3'), Lee (75'), Schmidt (87')