Hamburger SV avoid automatic relegation despite defeat

Hamburger SV narrowly avoided automatic relegation from the Bundesliga this afternoon, despite going down 3-2 at Mainz 05.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start, falling a goal behind in the sixth minute when Elkin Soto found space in the box and tapped home from close range.

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However, they showed determination after the deadlock was broken and drew level just six minutes later as Pierre-Michel Lasogga rose high in the box to head beyond Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Hamburg nerves began to jangle in the 65th minute when Yunus Malli found the bottom corner from outside the box, but defeats for Nuremberg and Eintracht Braunschweig saw them avoid automatic relegation.

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However, it was an unconvincing performance from them, compounded when Shinji Okazaki added a third goal for Mainz in the 82nd minute.

Ivo Ilicevic reduced the deficit in the dying stages, but that proved little consolation for Hamburg, who must now face the third-placed team in Bundesliga 2 in the playoffs.