Augsburg climb to seventh as Ja-Cheol Koo header downs Hamburg
Augsburg resumed their surprising run of good results on Matchday 18 after beating Hamburg courtesy of South Korean forward Ja-Cheol Koo's goal. This result strengthens the Bavarians' charge for European football next season.
FC Augsburg 1-0 Hamburg
Goals: 1-0 Koo (45')
Neither team was able to dominate the match in the first half-hour of play but towards the end of the first-half, Augsburg upped their charge and managed to generate a number of good chances. Riding on this wave, Brazilian attacker Caiuby put a dangerous cross into Hamburg's box that Koo headed in to open the score.
The action cooled off somewhat in the second half and the match turned into a midfield scrap. While Augsburg retained control, they were not able to find a clear chance to extend their lead. Hamburg did not give up, though, and coach Markus Gisdol made attacking substitutions in search of an equaliser that ultimately did not materialise. The result puts Augsburg in seventh place and maintains their dream of a return to European football next season.
Man of the Match
In a match controlled by Augsburg, the home team needed someone to come through and turn that dynamic into a result. Korean striker Koo was the man for the Bavarians, who sorely missed Alfred Finnbogason up front due to a cold.
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Line-ups
Augsburg: Hitz - Opare, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Max - Khedira, Baier (c) (Kacar 90'+3), Koo - Gregoritsch, Caiuby - Cordova (Schmid 68')
Unused subs: Giefer, Heller, Moravek, Richter, Framberger
Absentees: Danso (ankle), Finnbogason (cold), Ji (knee), Leitner (foot), Thommy (ankle)
Coach: Manuel Baum
Hamburg: Pollersbeck - Diekmeier, Papadopoulos (c), Mavraj, Douglas - Janjicic (Schipplock 84'), Jung - Hahn, Salihovic (Waldschmidt 67'), Kostic - Wood (Ito 74')
Unused subs: Mathenia, van Drongelen, Jatta, Sakai
Absentees: Ekdal (both ankle), Holtby (knee), Müller (cruciate ligaments), Walace (back), Arp (cold)
Coach: Markus Gisdol
Match stats
- Hamburg suffered a club-record ten defeats during the first half of the season.HSV occupied an automatic relegation place at the halfway stage for just the third time in their history.The Red Shorts have now failed to win any of their last seven opening matches of the second half of a season, losing their last five on the spin.Venezuelan forward Sergio Cordova made his first Bundesliga start against Hamburg.Finnbogason is the only Bundesliga player this season to have scored two braces.This season, Finnbogason and Augsburg team-mate Michael Gregortisch, formerly of Hamburg, have scored more goals combined (19) than the entire HSV squad (15).