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Bobby Wood fires Hamburg a step closer to safety in Wolfsburg six-pointer

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USA striker Bobby Wood ended a run of 18 games without a goal as Hamburg moved to within two points of the relegation play-off spot with a nerve-shredding win over fellow strugglers Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg 1-3 Hamburg

Goals: 0-1 Wood (pen. 43'), 0-2 Holtby (45+1'), 1-2 Brekalo (78'), 1-3 Waldschmidt (90+3')

Hamburg started with a real spring in their step, but the first clear-cut chance fell the way of Wolfsburg. Captain Paul Verhaegh scampered up the right-hand side and crossed for Renato Steffen, whose close-range effort sailed over the crossbar. That missed proved costly when HSV were awarded a penalty after Josuha Guilavogui's foul on the lively Tatsuya Ito. Wood - back in the starting line-up for the first time since early February - stepped up to dispatch the ensuing spot-kick, but better was to come as the in-form Lewis Holtby glanced in from Ito to double the Dinos' lead in first-half added time.

With a two-goal cushion, Hamburg attempted to slow the game at every given opportunity. A blistering break presented Filip Kostic with the chance to put the contest to bed, only for Koen Casteels to pull off a miraculous flying save to keep Wolfsburg in the game. The Wolves duly reduced the arrears when Josip Brekalo squeezed a timid free-kick beyond the reach of Julian Pollersbeck, but it was HSV who created the better chances through Bakery Jatta and Kostic. An injury-time strike from substitute Luca Waldschmidt - after Casteels had saved a Kostic penalty - set the seal on a precious win.

Match stats

    Hamburg have collected 10 points from their last five games.Wood's second Bundesliga goal of the season was his first since August.Holtby has netted four in his last five matches.HSV ended a 14-match winless run away from home.Wolfsburg's Jakub Blaszczykowski made his first appearance in five months after injury.The Wolves have scored a league-low nine goals in 2018.

Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Casteels – Verhaegh (c) (Brekalo 46'), Uduokhai, Knoche, Tisserand (Bazoer 11'), William – Blaszczykowski (Malli 75'), Guilavogui, Steffen, Arnold – Origi
Unused subs: Grün, Brooks, Didavi, Dimata
Absentees: Itter (thigh), Camacho (match fitness), Mehmedi (foot)
Coach: Bruno Labbadia 

Hamburg: Pollersbeck – Sakai (c), Papadopoulos, Jung, Douglas – Steinmann – Kostic, Holtby, Hunt (Ekdal 68'), Ito (Jatta 85') – Wood (Waldschmidt 77')
Unused subs: Mathenia, Diekmeier, van Drongelen, Salihovic
Absentees: Mavraj and Walace (not considered), Arp (school exams)
Coach: Christian Titz

Watch: Holbty "We're playing the right way"

As it happened