Gojko Kacar strikes late as Hamburger SV march toward safety

Gojko Kacar struck an 87th-minute winner as Hamburger SV took another step toward preserving their Bundesliga status with a 2-1 win away to Mainz 05.

Last week's 3-2 win at Augsburg helped breathe new life into Hamburg's relegation battle after they had lost their previous five games.

Bruno Labbadia's side have now moved that bit closer to safety, with Kacar striking late to propel the visitors up to 14th, one point clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Luck was with the visitors this afternoon as Julian Baumgartlinger diverted the ball into his own net on 37 minutes.

However, the hosts, who sit 10th in the standings, drew level on 76 minutes when Yunus Malli latched onto Jairo Samperio's precise ball to equalise.

Instead of moping, Hamburg, who have a 51-year stay in Germany's top flight to protect, hit back in the dying minutes as Kacar kept his cool to finish from close range.

Any chances of a Mainz comeback were effectively ended shortly after when Daniel Brosinski received his marching orders for a dangerous challenge.