Hamburger SV attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has admitted that the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Friday night was huge for his team as they look to move away from relegation danger this season.

Calhanoglu, who scored the opening goal on the night, said that Hamburg feel confident playing at home and hopes that their form at the Imtech Arena will be enough to keep them safe.

"It was a really important and hard-earned win," Calhanoglu told Bundesliga.com. "We knew we'd rediscovered our home form and really wanted to win.

"It was also important to score first. We conceded an unfortunate equaliser, but we didn't let our heads drop. Instead, we dug deep and fought hard."

Hamburg are just above the relegation playoff spot in the Bundesliga in 15th.