match report

HSV start 2019 with deserved 2-1 win against SV Sandhausen

Two goals from Pierre-Michel Lasogga sealed all three points in the first match of 2019 for HSV.

HSV opened their 2019 account with a deserved 2-1 victory against SV Sandhausen at the Volksparkstadion. The Rothosen flew out of the blocks in the first half, creating chance after chance in front of 36,564 fans in attendance. Pierre-Michel Lasogga finally found the breakthrough shortly before the break, but the visitors leveled in the 65th from the penalty spot. Lasogga quickly responded with his second of the game just four minutes later, however, to seal a well-earned home victory.

Lasogga rewarded HSV’s strong first half with a late goal.

Lasogga breaks the deadlock

HSV head coach Hannes Wolf named Gideon Jung in the starting XI for the first time this season alongside Rick van Drongelen. Captain Aaron Hunt wasn’t quite fit enough to start, hence it was Lewis Holtby, who had the game’s first big chance saved by the SVS keeper Schuhman after ten minutes, who wore the armband in midfield. The Sandhausen shotstopper continued to prove difficult to beat, saving a flurry of HSV chances from both Tatsuya Ito and Khaled Narey. With the visitors pegged back in their own half, Wolf’s men continued to create chance after chance and just as the half seemed destined to end on even terms, Lasogga popped up to score from HSV’s tenth attempt of the half.

Lasogga’s second goal sealed three important points for HSV

Quick response seals win

Die Rothosen didn’t second half with the same tempo as the first and instead looked to play a more patient game by keeping the ball and opponent moving, waiting to pounce on any lapse in concentration. And then, out of nowhere, Sandhausen equalised from the penalty spot (65’). To make matters worse, it was former HSV man Diekmeier who won the spot kick which was then converted by Wooten.

Unfazed by the unexpected setback, HSV found the perfect response at the other end when Lasogga thumped a powerful strike past Schuhman to restore HSV’s lead (69’). The forward almost added a third, but his long-range effort rattled the crossbar and out for a goal kick. No hat-trick, but still plenty to cheer about as Die Rothosen saw the game out to start 2019 with an important win. Winter signing Berkay Özcan also enjoyed a HSV debut as a second-half substitute.

Match statistics

Hamburger SV: Pollersbeck - Sakai, Jung, van Drongelen, Santos - Mangala - Narey (69' Özcan), Ito (69' Hunt), Holtby (87' Vagnoman), Jatta - Lasogga

SV Sandhausen: Schuhen - Diekmeier, Verlaat, Knipping, Dieckmann (58' Schleusener) - Kulovits (82' Vollmann), Taffertshofer - Gislason, Förster (82' Behrens), Paqarada - Wooten

Goals: 1-0 Lasogga (45'), 1-1 Wooten (65', pen), 2-1 Lasogga (68')

Spectators: 36,564

Referee: Sören Storks

Yellow cards: - / Gislason (58')