Match report
01.12.23
Snowy Hamburg derby ends 2-2
Hamburger SV trailed FC St. Pauli 2-0 at the break but an impressive, hard-fought second-half performance earned a point thanks to goals from Glatzel and Pherai.
The 110th Hamburg derby against FC St. Pauli finished 2-2 on Friday night (1st December). HSV actually made a good start at the sold-out Millerntorstadion, but a controversial opener from Irvine (15’) and a freak own goal by Heuer Fernandes (27’) saw the away side go 2-0 down. The Rothosen turned things around in the second half, however, and two quickfire goals from Glatzel and Pherai (58’, 60’) levelled the scores. Despite the first hour of the game being eventful, the snow then became heavier and heavier, making the pitch a difficult one to play on and meaning highlights were few and far between in the final half hour. At the end of an exciting derby between the first- and second-placed teams in the 2. Bundesliga, the draw was perhaps the fairest result.
First came frustration and an unbelievable moment...
Tim Walter had made three changes to the side which began the 2-1 home win against Eintracht Braunschweig. Jatta missed out through suspension, and so Königsdörffer took his place. The recovered Van der Brempt and Poreba also came in for Mikelbrencis and Dompe. This rotated starting XI made a good start at the Millerntor, which had a fiery atmosphere, and didn’t concede much at their end besides an early corner and a shot on goal. However, it would be the hosts’ second corner of the evening which brought about the opening goal.
Despite HSV protests after Meffert was struck on the neck by a St. Pauli arm and had been illegally blocked, the ball fell to Irvine who tapped it in for 1-0. The visitors’ frustration and misfortune were not to end there, though. First, they didn’t react to going behind as they would have wanted, and then twelve minutes after the opening goal came a freak second. Ramos looked to play it back to Heuer Fernandes after the HSV defence played it short from a goal kick, but the pass went too far in the direction of the HSV goal, before the ball bobbled up off the turf, which had worsened in the snow, causing the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance to inadvertently go into the back of the net. It was a crazy, unbelievable and inexplicable sequence of events! The HSV fans couldn’t believe their eyes, but after half an hour it was 2-0 to St. Pauli, who would go on to see more of the ball in the final 15 minutes before the break and were able to keep the away side, who were pressing to get back in the game, far from their goal. The scoreline therefore remained 2-0 come the break.
...and then came a fierce comeback
Walter made a change at half time, bringing winger Dompe on for defensive midfielder Poreba. The snow was having an ever-increasing impact on the game, so referee Zwayer decided to change the match balls from white to red – and it was with these new red balls that HSV got back into the game. And how! Van der Brempt whipped a mean cross into the box, picking out Glatzel who was in the perfect position to make it 2-1. Then just two minutes later, substitute Dompe copied Van der Brempt, this time from the left flank, and found Pherai, who turned cutely before slotting home for 2-2. HSV showed great spirit to level the game, and this Hamburg derby was turning out to be something special! Both teams were now playing for the win, but the weather was making it all but easy for the two sides, and both teams found it tough to string together clean, targeted attacking moves. Therefore, it was a matter of effort, will and tenacity to at least keep the opponent away from goal or to even fashion a winning chance. Both sides defended well, which kept the scores level, and so the 110th Hamburg derby between the 2. Bundesliga’s first- and second-placed teams finished ended as a draw.
Match facts:
FC St. Pauli: Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Mets - Saliakas (67' Ritzka), Irvine, Hartel, Treu - Metcalfe (86' Maurides), Eggestein (80' Afolayan), Saad (67' Amenyido)
Hamburger SV: Heuer Fernandes - Van der Brempt (75' Mikelbrencis), Ambrosius, Ramos, Muheim - Poreba (46' Dompe, 90'+3 Nemeth), Meffert, Benes - Königsdörffer (80' Öztunali), Glatzel, Pherai
Goals: 1-0 Irvine (15'), 2-0 Heuer Fernandes (og, 27'), 2-1 Glatzel (58'), 2-2 Pherai (60')
Attendance: 29,143 (sold-out)
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Berlin)
Yellow cards: Wahl / Ramos, Meffert, Mikelbrencis
Red cards: - / -