Hamburg's Albin Ekdal grabs all three points against Hertha Berlin

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

We'd seen a season-high 35 goals in the previous eight games on Matchday 23, but the weekend ended with just one enough as Hamburger SV secured all three points against Hertha Berlin when USMNT teammates Bobby Wood and John Brooks went head to head.

Hamburg 1-0 Hertha

Goals: Ekdal (77')

How did the game affect your Official Fantasy Bundesliga score? Click here to find out!

It was all Hamburg in the opening minutes as the home side pushed to open the scoring with USMNT striker Bobby Wood forcing his way through the Hertha defence, but his cut-back to Aaron Hunt was cut out. The hosts then went close again as Nicolai Müller forced an excellent point-blank save out of Berlin keeper Rune Jarstein. The in-form Kyriakos Papadopoulos had the final chance of note in the half when he rose high at a free-kick, but the Greece international couldn’t direct his effort on goal.

Download the official Bundesliga app!

- © imago / Michael Schwarz

The second 45 minutes began in a similar manner to the first as both sides struggled to carve out clear-cut chances against organised defences. The game began to stretch after the hour mark, and it was Hertha who almost took advantage when Vedad Ibisevic had a chance to shoot inside the HSV box. He instead elected to play in Vladimir Darida but made a mess of the pass. The capital club again came close when Darida’s effort from range deflected off a defender, leaving keeper Rene Adler stranded, but it went wide of the post. The deadlock was soon broken when Albin Ekdal tucked home inside the box for his first goal of the season with just 15 minutes left on the clock.

Man of the Match

Hamburg’s top scorer alongside Wood and Michael Gregoritsch, Müller once again proved himself as a useful attacking outlet for the Red Shorts. His four efforts on goal were at one point more than the entire Hertha team, and the 29-year-old’s 42 sprints were also more than anyone else on the pitch.

Line-ups

Hamburg: Adler (c) - Diekmeier, Papadopoulos, Jung, Ostrzolek - Ekdal, Walace (Sakai 73') - Müller, Holtby (Kostic 57'), Hunt (Gregoritsch 89') – Wood

Coach: Markus Gisdol

Hertha: Jarstein - Pekarik, Langkamp, Brooks, Plattenhardt - Stark (Duda 52'), Skjelbred - Haraguchi (Esswein 84'), Darida, Kalou - Ibisevic (c)

Coach: Pal Dardai

Watch: Bobby Wood on the key to HSV's win over Hertha:

Click here for the Augsburg - Leipzig Match Centre!