Newly promoted Bundesliga side Hamburger SV pulled off a major upset on matchday 10 thanks to Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer. The substitute scored the equalizer in the seventh minute of stoppage time in Saturday’s home game against Borussia Dortmund, making it 1-1 (0-0).
As the clock ticked down to the seven minutes of added time, the packed Volksparkstadion erupted in jubilation. Seven minutes! Seven minutes of hope! But the hope was quickly dashed as the clock ticked down without any action. Just seconds remained when HSV defender Miro Muheim delivered a pinpoint cross into the BVB penalty area. The cross arrived at the perfect moment, both in position and timing. Königsdörffer rose above his marker, Nico Schlotterbeck, and headed home for 1-1.
The euphoria in the stadium was overwhelming. And at the heart of the collective joy was Königsdörffer, who had just scored his first Bundesliga goal. The timing couldn’t have been better. “It was absolutely fantastic,” exclaimed coach Merlin Polzin after the match, “everything clicked after the final whistle. It was a perfect afternoon of football for us.”
This victory earns HSV a point. However, the boost to team morale is likely to be much greater. After the Bundesliga international break, the newly promoted side will resume competition on November 22 with a match against FC Augsburg.
Hamburg immediately under pressure
Polzin was without midfielders Fabio Vieira and Immanuel Pherai against Borussia Dortmund, both sent off in the 4-1 defeat to Cologne. The HSV side, with four changes, soon found themselves under pressure from the visiting Champions League participants. Apart from one instance where full-back Jordan Torunarigha had to intervene (5th minute), the passionate and solid team from northern Germany conceded nothing to the visitors in the first 25 minutes.
HSV were unlucky: Capaldo headed against the crossbar.
Had everything gone perfectly, they would have been celebrating a goal after half an hour of play. Jean-Luc Dompé, with the ball under control, did what he usually does: he cut inside from the left wing and unleashed a curling shot towards the top corner. Waldemar Anton prevented the ball from crossing the line at waist height by getting in its path.
After a good chance for Dortmund’s Carney Chukwuemeka (35th minute), Dompé again created danger on the other wing. This time, he cut inside from the byline and delivered a precise cross into the six-yard box. The pass didn’t find a teammate, but after Giorgi Gocholeishvili’s cross, Nicolas Capaldo rose and headed the ball against the crossbar (39th minute). That was the best chance of the first half.
Chukwuemeka finds the gap in the HSV defense.
The second half began with a scare. When German international Schlotterbeck tried to clear the ball near the touchline, Torunarigha caught him studs up, causing the player to writhe on the ground and repeatedly cover his face with his hands. Torunarigha did not receive a yellow card. Schlotterbeck, who was able to continue despite a bleeding wound on his instep, was booed by the HSV fans every time he touched the ball.
Schlotterbeck played a key role in Borussia Dortmund’s celebration after just over an hour of play. His header from a corner initially went high, but with an acrobatic volley, he laid the ball off to Chukwuemeka in midfield, who found space and placed it into the bottom right corner for 1-0 (64th minute). It was the first goal of the season for the promising English player.
Hamburg’s Glatzel misses a golden opportunity. Polzin brought on striker Robert Glatzel (74th minute), and just two minutes later, Glatzel had a golden opportunity to equalize. However, his shot from the edge of the area lacked precision and power, and BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a great save.
Königsdörffer saves HSV a point
In the 83rd minute, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer, Glatzel’s attacking partner who had also come on as a substitute, suddenly went down in the penalty area after a challenge from Anton. HSV fans vehemently appealed for a penalty, but the referee rightly waved play on. Königsdörffer had clearly put his leg in Anton’s path with the intention of bringing him down.
In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Königsdörffer once again became the hero. He salvaged a point that seemed lost for the newly promoted side.
