Stuttgart 3-0 Hamburg
Bundesliga
Relegation Playoffs
Thursday
1st June 2023
Mercedes-Benz Arena
VfB Stuttgart has dealt with Hamburger SV at home. In the first leg of the promotion and relegation play-off, the Bundesliga club defeated the Traditionsverein. As a result, a dramatic week got an equally annoying sequel.
Horror week for Hamburger SV continues with a disastrous visit to Stuttgart
Hamburger SV, which had a bizarre denouement of the season in the 2. Bundesliga, had not yet washed away the sour aftertaste of the last round of play in Stuttgart. This became apparent in the opening phase. The Hamburgers seemed to have been promoted last weekend, but while the festivities were already underway, rival Heidenheim scored two goals deep in stoppage time. That still bothered Hamburger SV.
Stuttgart, fighting for survival, overwhelmed the guests from the kick-off. Within a minute it was hit. Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos opened the scoring. A corner kick ended up on the head of former Arsenal defender Mavropanos after 43 seconds, who was able to hit the ball in a fabulous way.
The early opening goal gave Stuttgart wings. Hamburger SV, where Ludovit Reis started in the starting line-up, had to gasp angrily to keep up with the pace. After half an hour that seemed to result in the next thump. Stuttgart won themselves a penalty kick, giving Sehrou Guirassy an incredible chance to score the second goal. However, the French attacker failed hopelessly.
Second half
In the second half, Hamburger SV had to try to limit the damage, but ten minutes after the tea was over, things went completely wrong. First it was Josha Vagnoman who doubled the margin, after which Guirassy recovered his miss of the first half. This time, the striker headed in from a corner kick and increased Hamburger SV’s suffering.
Reis was immediately substituted by his trainer. Shortly after the substitution, it was Anssi Suhonen, Reis’s replacement, who had to go in with a direct red card after a charge. It made the dramatic evening, in the middle of a horror week, complete for Hamburger SV. On Monday, Stuttgart can secure survival, while Hamburger SV must hope for a miracle at home.
