Hamburg come from behind to beat Union Berlin in five-goal thriller
Hamburg secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Union Berlin on Matchday 22 to boost their survival hopes thanks to a Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer brace, which saw the Red Shorts extend their Bundesliga unbeaten streak to five successive games.
Hamburg 3-2 Union Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Querfeld 28’ (pen.), 1-1 Königsdörffer 35‘ (assist: Glatzel), 2-1 Capaldo 45‘+2 (assist: Jatta), 3-2 Ilić 89’ (assist Burke)
Steffen Baumgart's return to the Volksparkstadion ended in disappointment as his former club Hamburg secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over his Union Berlin side.
The hosts extended their unbeaten run to five matches while Union continue to search for their first win of 2026, having now gone seven league games without victory.
Königsdörffer's brilliant brace for the Red Shorts saw them who move above their visitors and into ninth place in the table.
Despite Hamburg controlling the early proceedings and dominating possession, it was the visitors who were first to get their noses in front.
Capaldo was penalised for a high boot on Ilić inside the area, allowing Leopold Querfeld to step up and calmly dispatch the spot-kick past Daniel Heuer Fernandes.
However, the hosts responded brilliantly, equalising seven minutes later through a clinical counter-attack initiated by Fábio Vieira. The Portuguese midfielder found Robert Glatzel, who in turn teed up Königsdörffer to finish with aplomb.
The first-half drama was far from over there, however, as the match burst into life in stoppage time with a remarkable sequence of events.
Ilić squandered a golden opportunity when he dragged his shot wide with an open goal at his mercy following a defensive mix-up between Heuer Fernandes and Jordan Torunarigha.
Not deterred by this let off, Hamburg immediately punished this profligacy, countering through the lively Vieira who found Miro Muheim on the left. The defender's cross was met by Bakery Jatta, who teed up Capaldo to fire home from close range and give the hosts a 2-1 half-time advantage.
Union emerged with renewed purpose after the break, with substitutes Tim Skarke and Livan Burcu making an immediate impact after their 61st-minute introductions.
Derrick Köhn came agonisingly close to equalising in the 71st minute when his ferocious free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Nevertheless, just as the visitors looked to be building momentum, Hamburg struck a devastating third on the counter-attack.
Giorgi Gocholeishvili, who had been introduced just minutes earlier, released Königsdörffer who finished clinically from a tight angle to make it 3-1, effectively sealing the three points for the hosts.
Union refused to surrender and set up a tense finale when Ilić headed home from close range following good work by substitute Oliver Burke.
Despite six minutes of added time and sustained pressure, Baumgart's men couldn't find an equaliser as Hamburg defended resolutely to secure all three points.
Man of the Match: Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer
The 24-year-old forward was simply unplayable at times, scoring twice to take his tally to seven Bundesliga goals this season.
His first strike came from a well-worked counter-attack, showing composure to finish past Frederik Rønnow. For his second, he demonstrated both pace to break clear and technique to finish from a difficult angle.
Beyond his goals, Königsdörffer was a constant menace with a match-leading seven shots and several threatening runs. His brace marked his first-ever Bundesliga double, capping a performance that earned him a deserved 416 fantasy points – the highest of any player on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hamburg 1.62 - Union Berlin 2.09
Fastest player: Nicolai Remberg (Hamburg), 32.62 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-1 by Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer (Hamburg), 9.5 percent
Most pressed player: Fábio Vieira (Hamburg), 16 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Bakery Jatta (Hamburg), +2.17
Fantasy Heroes: Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer (Hamburg, 416 Points), Nicolas Capaldo (Hamburg, 214 Points), Andrej Ilić (Union Berlin, 276 Points)
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