En one half, Hamburger SV held out the vague hope of ending the fifth year in the second division with a grand finale on Monday evening. Then VfB Stuttgart scored in the 48th minute to make it 1-1, followed later by the 2-1 and had done what was necessary to remain in the Bundesliga in 2023/24. Silas made it 3-1 just before the final whistle.
“It really is a brutal disappointment. The pain is today,” said HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes on the Sky TV channel after the final whistle. “It just hurts.”
The basis for the late happy ending after a weak season for VfB with coach Sebastian Hoeneß was the 3-0 win in the first leg on Thursday. As is almost always the case, the Bundesliga representative held his own in the extended season – it has only been different three times since 2009. After Sonny Kittel’s 1-0 win in the sixth minute, HSV had a strong half to offer. Not more.
So it goes for the Hamburg in the sixth season in the lower house. The fans deserve more than second-class status. Can coach Tim Walter and board member Jonas Boldt offer more? The two want to stay, and there is no majority on the supervisory board against it, although there are good arguments for a new start in a responsible position.
Walter emotionalized
It was a special evening, a special day in Hamburg – even in St. Pauli’s home district “Schanze” they wore blue. The football-loving part of the city, which is in league with HSV, was looking forward to an evening that, after the start on Thursday, should only be a must for VfB. But after seven months without a home defeat, home advantage was the last thing Hamburg could hold on to – it was a little more than straw.
In his typical way, coach Walter had emotionalized and appealed to the hearts of his players and their fans. Should something go there? After six minutes in the raging Volkspark, not only Walter and his family believed in what many had previously dubbed a “miracle” – after Sonny Kittel’s powerful shot, the snappy HSV led 1-0. It was louder than at the two Metallica concerts at the end of May in the Stellinger Stadium (after which the lawn had to be relaid).
A shot at luck: Sonny Kittel (left) makes it 1-0 for Hamburger SV, which is well worth seeing.
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Image: AFP
VfB, often unstable at times, seemed impressed by the crowd, but played well after Chris Führich’s chance (7th) and Serhou Guirassy’s goal, which referee Bastian Dankerts canceled for offside (17th minute). The really big Hamburg pressure remained until the break; Only center forward Robert Glatzel approached the Stuttgart goal with a left-footed shot (40′).
High balls into the penalty area were not a threat, even if goalkeeper Florian Müller’s fist defenses didn’t always look safe. Nevertheless, VfB seemed vulnerable and like a team that rightly has to be relegated.
Coach Sebastian Hoeneß disliked what he saw. He brought on Dan-Axel Zagadou as a stabilizing element for Konstantinos Mavropanos. When HSV was again too open in the 48th minute, VfB used the space and time and, after Guirassy’s pass, made it 1-1 through Enzo Millot – Millot later made it 2-1 after goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes made a gross foot mistake (64.)
After that, the plug was pulled for the hamburgers. Stuttgart was on top, let HSV come, but not much came. On the other hand, Silas made it 3-1 at the very end.
