Anton Kade strike ends three-match losing streak for Augsburg with victory over Hamburg
Augsburg secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Hamburg thanks to Anton Kade's 76th-minute winner, which decided a tense encounter at the WWK Arena on Matchday 11 as Sandro Wagner's men snapped their run of three consecutive defeats.
Augsburg 1-0 Hamburg
Goals: 1-0 Kade 76‘ (assist: Giannoulis)
Red card: Schlotterbeck 81’
Wagner's Augsburg came into the match having lost three consecutive Bundesliga games, leaving them with just seven points from their opening 10 fixtures – their worst start to a top-flight campaign in a decade.
Hamburg, meanwhile, had picked up just one point from their previous four league outings, making this a critical encounter in the early-season relegation battle.
Heuer Fernandes thwarts dominant Augsburg
Augsburg flew out of the blocks and should have taken the lead after just five minutes. Mert Kömür flicked the ball through to Kade, who found himself clean through on goal, only for Daniel Heuer Fernandes to pull off a stunning save.
The hosts continued to dominate the opening stages and thought they'd gone ahead when Fabian Rieder slotted home, but their celebrations were cut short by the assistant's raised flag for offside.
Heuer Fernandes was called into action again midway through the half, denying Kömür with another excellent stop after good combination play between Kade and Dimitrios Giannoulis. The visitors gradually grew into the contest and nearly struck against the run of play when Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer curled an effort against the post, although he too was flagged offside.
Kade breaks the deadlock before late drama
The second period began with Hamburg showing more attacking intent, Giorgi Gocholeishvili forcing a save from Finn Dahmen after good work from Jean-Luc Dompé down the left.
Both sides created half-chances as the match became more evenly balanced, but the breakthrough finally arrived in the 76th minute when Giannoulis delivered a pinpoint cross from the left flank. Kade met it perfectly on the volley at the far post, steering the ball beyond Heuer Fernandes' reach and into the net.
However, Augsburg's job was made significantly harder five minutes later when Keven Schlotterbeck received a second yellow card for a foul on Königsdörffer, leaving the hosts to play out the final stages with 10 men.
Despite HSV throwing on Robert Glatzel, Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit, Immanuël Pherai and Guilherme Ramos in search of an equaliser, Wagner's side defended resolutely to secure a vital victory.
Man of the Match: Daniel Heuer Fernandes
Despite ending up on the losing side, Heuer Fernandes produced an exceptional performance that kept his team in the match until the very end.
The HSV stopper made multiple outstanding saves, particularly in the first half when Augsburg were dominant. His fingertip stop to deny Kade early on was world-class, and he continued to frustrate the Augsburg attackers throughout.
Without his heroics between the posts, the scoreline could have been much more comfortable for the hosts. The fact that he was voted Man of the Match despite being on the defeated team speaks volumes about the quality of his display.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Augsburg 1.56 - Hamburg 0.99
Fastest player: Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg), 34.46 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Kade (Augsburg), 39 per cent
Most pressed player: Kade (Augsburg), 15 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Kade (Augsburg), +3.74
Fantasy Heroes: Giannoulis (Augsburg, 290 Points), Heuer Fernandes (Hamburg, 261 Points), Dahmen (Augsburg, 253 Points)
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