Hamburg returned to winning ways at home to Hannover on Sunday afternoon, but the visitors have now made it seven without a victory in the Bundesliga.
It was Hannover who took the lead just before the half-hour mark in a nervy first half as Szabolcs Huszti made the most of two defensive errors to finish well.
The hosts responded immediately through Milan Badelj's improvised volley and they went on to put the game beyond doubt with second-half goals from Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Good afternoon Bundesliga fans. We have two very close games on paper to bring you this afternoon. Later on is Werder Bremen vs. Mainz 05, but first up we have Hambuger SV against Hannover.
Neither side is on a good run of form, although Hannover's recent performances can only be described as miserable. They have to go back to September to find their last league win, which a last-minute 2-1 win against Augsburg.
Hamburg enjoyed life at first under new coach Van Marwijk, but their form has since dropped and they sit not far above the drop zone. Most recently they were beaten 5-3 by Bayer Leverkusen in a thrilling encounter, but the Dutchman will not be happy with the way his side defended in that one.
So, without further ado I'll get the two teams right over to you.
HAMBURG XI: Adler; Westermann, Tah, Djourou, Jansen; Badelj, Rincon; Beister, Calhanoglu, Ilicevic; Lasogga
HANNOVER XI: Zieler; Sakai, Sane, Schulz, Schmiedebach; Stindl, Andreasen; Prib, Huszti, Schlaudraff; Diouf
So the big blow for Hamburg came during the international break, when captain Rafael van der Vaart suffered ankle ligament damage. He is expected to be out for around a month, which considering how good he can be on his day will not help Hamburg's cause at all. In for him is Ivo Ilicevic with Hakan Calhanoglu taking up the central role behind Pierre-Michel Lasogga.
The striker has been in brilliant form this season and he was one of the few players to come out of the heavy Leverkusen defeat with any credit. His brace added to a hat-trick earlier in the season and he has eight in total. Only three players have scored more. Even more now rests on his shoulders with the absence of the Dutchman.
Hannover, on the other hand, will be looking for a lot more from their star striker, Mame Biram Diouf. He has just two to his name so far and has not scored since August. He has spent time out, but his return has been far less than his performances in recent seasons have made us come to expect from him.
In terms of the odds, really Hannover's miserable away form is the deciding factor. Even without Van der Vaart, the hosts are around evens with Hannover way back at almost 3/1. If you ask me, that's about right and I can see it being 2-0.
The players are getting ready then, and we're almost set for kickoff. Whatever happens, I anticipate a bit of an edge to this one owing to the two teams' league standings.
KICKOFF: Here we go then, the visitors get us underway. They are in red, and Hamburg in white.
It's a good early tempo from Hannover off the ball. Hamburg have seen all of the ball but they have been pinned back in their own half so far with some pressing. Beister breaks the offside trap with Rincon passing over the top, but Ron-Robert Zieler is out to sweep up and gather the ball.
First sight of Diouf on the ball there, but he was just offside as he chested the ball down towards Jan Schlaudraff. This is as I expected so far: very tactical, with both sides trying to impose their own style on the game. So far, neither side is on top.
Hamburg are just about edging their way on top of this, as Westermann is penalised for a foul on Zieler as he went up with Leon Andreasen. Even though Hamburg are seeing more of the ball, we're yet to have a real chance.
A free kick is given on the edge of the Hannover box, but as Beister goes down it is given against him. He caught the legs of Prib as the Hannover man tried to clear. For a moment he thinks he has the free kick, but it was the right decision.
Hamburg are pressing in a swarm now on the edge of Hannover's box and the visitors are living very dangerously. Lasogga gets a half-chance as he tried to power his way into the box and his low shot hits Zieler's legs and goes away to safety. Great strength by the big man.
Diouf is bundled to the ground by Tah, who went straight through the back of him. It was a clever foul really, as Diouf had a runner off him that he could have played through. Huszti's free kick is cleared by Westermann and then Beister is fouled.
Beister, who has been crowded out whenever he has had the ball, takes out his frustration from distance but puts his effort right at Zieler.
SAVE! Good stop from Rene Adler, who dived to his left to keep out a Diouf header from Huszti's cross. I think in the end it was given offside - which was correct - as Sebastien Pocognoli comes on for Stindl, who is limping. That's a blow for Hannover who will now have to reshuffle.
The Hamburg attack just doesn't have the same impact without Van der Vaart linking play. Calhanoglu in particular has been quiet, while Beister and Ilicevic have struggled to find a teammate when they look forward.
Good claim by Zieler there, who came off his line and then to his right to gather a deep, swirling cross from Beister. With Lasogga lurking there was no room for error, and there wasn't one.
BOOKING: Really good defending from Schulz there, who cut out a pass intended for Beister cutting in from the right. Straight up the other end and Beister brings down Pocognoli with a poor tackle right on the corner of the box. He gets the first yellow for it and rightly so.
GOAL! Hamburg 0-1 Hannover (Huszti)
That is appalling defending all round from the hosts! Adler passes the ball to Rincon, who has three players around him. One of them, Huszti, pinches the ball and slots it into the bottom corner for an unlikely lead. Adler really should not have passed to Rincon, but equally he should have slammed it out of play.
GOAL! Hamburg 1-1 Hannover (Milan Badelj)
That is a brilliant finish from Badelj! Zieler gets his fists on a free kick but doesn't get a great deal of distance. It fell to Badelj full on the volley who looped it into the empty net. Ok, Zieler wasn't there but he caught that brilliantly! Hamburg level almost immediately.
This is now set up really well. The next goal will be key, and I would expect whichever side scores it to go on to win. Both goals have been avoidable from a defensive viewpoint, but the mistakes have definitely livened it up.
Chance for Hannover's second there and it fell to Schlaudraff. He takes a bit too long over the chance and in the end it is blocked. I think he'd be disappointed that he did not get a proper shot away there, as it was a half-chance.
BOOKING: Yellow card for Schulz and he knew it was coming. Big Lasogga was bearing down on him so the centre-back decided to take one for the team and clatter him. He can only do that once, though.
It doesn't look as though there will be a goal before the break now. Both sides have tightened up as the half has worn on and don't want to give away the advantage before half time. Corner here for Hamburg, with Lasogga the target.
CLOSE! It was Tah who met the corner and his downward header only went a yard or so wide of the near post. That was a real chance, but there was just enough pressure on him.
Hamburg continue to press for a late goal, but with just a minute to be added on it's not looking likely to come.
HALF TIME: Hamburg 1-1 Hannover
So it's all square at the break and really that is about right. Neither side has created a lot, and both goals have come from mistakes - albeit Hamburg's mistake was far worse. The hosts have perhaps edged it, but not enough to be winning.
The opener for Hannover did come somewhat against the run of play. Adler made a suicidal pass to Rincon, who had three players bearing down on him. He tried to play out of trouble but was robbed by Huszti, who finished well.
Hamburg equalised very soon after after a slightly poor punch from Zieler. He got a little bit of distance on it, but the ball fell to Badelj who controlled his volley well into the empty net. I always prefer to see goalkeepers go for the catch, and this is the area that Zieler really lets himself down.
It will be important for both sides to come out strongly here. The next 10-15 minutes could be the most important of the game, should one of the teams be able to score. The Hamburg players are back on the pitch, but Hannover remain in the dressing room for now.
KICKOFF: The hosts get us back underway here. It's a strange subdued atmosphere here at the Imtech Arena.
GOAL! Hamburg 2-1 Hannover (Maximilian Beister)
What a start to the half for the hosts! Westermann found himself with acres of space wide on the right and with two to aim for and seemingly no defenders he planted the ball right on the head of Beister, who made no mistake with his downward effort. I still don't think Hannover have come out for the second 45 yet.
CHANCE! Lasogga has a real chance to find Jansen in the middle, but he takes too much time and in the end only wins a corner. Zieler punches again, but this time gets it out of play for a throw.
Really nice touch there from Calhanoglu, who flicked over his man after Lasogga headed down to him. Beister gets the ball and is then brought down wide on the right, with Calhanoglu to take. It bobbles around in the box a bit but in the end Djourou gives away a free kick.
Hannover really need to sort their act out if they are to get anything from this one. They have barely put any passes together and Tah and Djourou at the back are looking so comfortable dealing with Diouf, who has been left isolated.
That was the first hint of Adler being troubled in this half, but Sakai's dangerous cross is cleared. Hamburg break immediately and Lasogga's wonderful backheel to Ilicevic sees the midfielder's shot deflected over the bar. They are certainly much more dangerous now.
HANNOVER SUB: They have improved just a little bit in the last 10 minutes, the visitors, but they are still looking incredibly shaky at the back. A change is needed, and indeed here it comes as Artur Sobiech comes on for Prib. That should be two up top now.
BOOKING: Salif Sane goes into the book for a foul on the edge of the box on Ilicevic. That's both centre-backs booked now, which will delight Hamburg.
Calhanoglu has an awful lot of time to think about his free kick as the referee tries to sort out the wall, but it's a poor effort and was going over from the moment he kicked it.
CHANCE! Diouf's first real look-in of the game there. He had time to control a cross, but took just too long over his effort and it was deflected over the bar and out for a corner. That's the sort of opportunity he loves and is clearly disappointed with his effort.
Adler is so much more comfortable than Zieler dealing with crosses. A deep one comes in from the right and he came out quickly to hold on solidly. You just never felt that he would be troubled with that one, whereas Zieler does flap a fair bit.
Sane and Diouf go up to meet a corner. It's Sane who meets it but his header goes out of play off the back of Tah. That could have been going in, and I think it would have been close. Adler punches a cross some 40 yards away with one hand and Hamburg survive the pressure.
There's a break in play here as Westermann is down receiving treatment. There was a clash of heads with Schulz there, who is also being taken off, but it looks as though the right-back might be alright to continue.
HANNOVER SUB: Schulz is unable to continue then, as Andre Hoffmann comes on for him. Westermann has come back on, and Badelj was also booked a few moments ago.
Beister wins another free kick on the right, but once more it's a poor delivery from Calhanoglu, who puts it beyond any man in white. After it's headed clear Rincon goes for goal from some 35 yards out on the left and naturally his effort goes wide. Wasteful.
BOOKING: Absolutely no-one was going up with Lasogga there after Hannover had pressured Adler into a hoofed clearance. The striker looked around, chested it down and was able to get it under control. Ilicevic goes into the book there for a foul on Andreasen.
GOAL! Hamburg 3-1 Hannover (Calhanoglu)
The ball is given away all too easily by Hannover in the middle. Beister is able to drive towards the middle and play in Calhanoglu on the left, with the Turkish international finishing into the far bottom corner with a low left-footed strike. A great finish and that is that now.
HAMBURG SUB: Beister is making way for a well deserved rest. On for him is Jacques Zoua for the final few minutes.
RED CARD! Salif Sane picks up his second booking for a high boot on Westermann and Hannover's day is summed up here late on.
There will be a further three minutes to play in this one, as if the extra time was needed...
FULL TIME: Hamburg 3-1 Hannover
Huszti is booked just before the final whistle, and really that second half was all too easy for the hosts. Hannover's dreadful run continues. Please do join me for Werder vs. Mainz very shortly, but from this one it's goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
