Hamburg break duck with Darmstadt win
Hamburger SV picked up their first win of the season with Michael Gregoritsch and Matthias Ostrzolek on target in a 2-0 win at SV Darmstadt 98.
SV Darmstadt 98 0-2 Hamburger SV
Goal: 0-1 Gregoritsch (30'), 0-2 Ostrzolek (90')
Laszlo Kleinheisler sent Darmstadt's first shot over after a tight opening quarter of an hour which had been characterised by combative exchanges. Michael Gregoritsch squandered Hamburg's first sight of goal five minutes later when he beat the offside trap but shot wide of the far post. He did better with his next attempt, though, sending in a bullet header at the near post from Filip Kostic's cross to give HSV the half-time lead.
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Darmstadt had to come out looking for a goal in the second 45 minutes and this opened things up, albeit giving the guests more opportunities to increase their advantage with Kostic proving a constant threat down the Hamburg left. Aytac Sulu and Mario Vrancic sent shots off target as Darmstadt searched desperately for an equaliser, but Ostrzolek struck late to double Hamburg's lead and cut their deficit on Darmstadt to a point.
Talking point
The only remaining winless record in the Bundesliga has finally ended – after 13 games. There is still plenty of work for Hamburg to do, but this was a crucial taboo-breaking first step in the right direction.
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Match stats
- Gisdol named an unchanged side for the third game in a row – the first time HSV have been unchanged in three consecutive games in over four years, when Thorsten Fink was coach.Gregoritsch scored in consecutive Bundesliga matches for the first time (he scored two on Matchday 12).Kostic delivered his first assist in 11 Bundesliga appearances for Hamburg.
Line-ups
Darmstadt: Esser - Jungwirth, Milosevic, Sulu (c), Guwara – Niemeyer (81' Stroh-Engel), Vrancic - Sirigu, Kleinheisler (74' Rosenthal), Heller – Colak (61' Bezjak)
Coach: Norbert Meier
Hamburg: Mathenia - Diekmeier, Djourou, Jung, Douglas Santos - Sakai (c), Ostrzolek – Müller (89' Hunt), Holtby, Kostic (84' Ekdal) – Gregoritsch (74' Wood)
Coach: Markus Gisdol