Two of the Bundesliga's struggling sides clashed on Sunday afternoon, with Hamburger SV going to Nuremberg and thrashing them 5-0.
The first half was well-contested, but the visitors deservedly led at the break thanks to Rafael van der Vaart's fine scissor volley.
In the second half, Pierre-Michel Lasogga netted a seven-minute hat-trick to fire the game beyond Nuremberg, with Tolgay Arslan adding a fifth from more than 40 yards.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Hello Bundesliga fans. Today we have two clashes between teams at the wrong end of the table. First up is Nuremberg at home to Hamburger SV.
For Hamburg, Bert van Marwijk's first game in charge was an exciting 2-2 draw away to Frankfurt last weekend. They showed improvement up front, but still need a lot of work at the back. That should come in time, I suspect.
Nuremberg were not expected to take the league by storm this season, but they'll nevertheless be disappointed by their start. They are without a win in six, and have really struggled to keep a clean sheet all season. They haven't yet managed it.
The team news is in, and is coming right up...
NUREMBERG XI: Schafer; Chandler, Nilsson, Pogatetz, Plattenhardt; Hasebe, Frantz, Hlousek; Kiyotake, Drmic; Pekhart
HAMBURG XI: Adler; Westermann, Djourou, Tah, Jansen; Badelj, Arslan, Zoua, Van der Vaart, Calhanoglu; Lasogga
Looking at the teams both sides should be doing better really, but it will be quite tough to separate them today. Although I think if Rafael van der Vaart and Jacques Zoua can get into the game then the shaky Nuremberg defence could have problems.
Looking at the odds, Nuremberg are the favourites here. They can be backed at 16/10 while Hamburg are back at almost 2/1 in some places. The draw, at 13/5 could be a sensible bet.
PREDICTION: That said, my money is on a narrow away win today. I fancy Zoua to score in a 2-1 win for Hamburg. Incidentally, 201 Hamburg is 10/1.
KICKOFF: The visitors, in white, begin the game.
Nuremberg have started well and are looking to Hiroshi Kiyotake down the left as the outlet. Calhanoglu is quick, but he cannot get on the end of Jansen's clipped ball over the top and Hamburg's first foray forward ends with a goal kick.
Hamburg now are just about edging on top of the game. Badelj comes forward but he is tackled by Hasebe. He then looks for Kiyotake on the break but the Japanese gives away a foul.
CHANCE: Plenty of possession football from the men in white. Huge chance for Lassoga, who is played in with a fine ball from Van der Vaart, but he hits his effort straight at Schafer. He should have done a lot better.
Hasebe with a hopeful ball to the left channel for Pekhart, but the striker cannot reach it and Hamburg have the ball again. Van Marwijk will be pleased with what he has seen so far, but will want to get the goal his side's play has so far deserved.
CHANCE: In the end it was good defending from Djourou, who made himself known as Pekhart tried to meet a fine cross from Chandler. It comes off the striker's shoulder and out for a goal kick.
Van der Vaart is really having an impact here. He drops deep before pinging wide to Calhanoglu, whose cross is headed behind by Pogatetz with Lasogga lurking. The Dutchman goes across to take, but it's headed clear.
Nuremberg, largely thanks to some mishit passes from the visitors, are just getting back into this. Drmic looks for Pekhart with a ball into the box, but it was far too strong and Adler comes to gather.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-1 Hamburg (Rafael van der Vaart)
What a strike from VDV! A cross comes in and the Dutchman scissors it - think Paolo Di Canio for West Ham United - with Schafer able to get to it but cannot keep it out. That's what he can do and that is why he's a mainstay in this Hamburg side.
How can Nuremberg respond? It's still HSV with the better of the possession after the goal. They're still on top and another goal would make it very tough indeed for Nuremberg.
Little bit of a scramble in the Hamburg box there as a Chandler throw is flicked on a couple of times. In the end Djorou hacks it clear and the men in white are in possession once again.
They are looking calm and composed on the ball, HSV, as if they were the home side. Nuremberg are pressing high, but it's largely having no effect at the moment.
Lasogga finds himself wide left from Badelj's pass, which is a position he is unfamiliar with. In the end they work it inside then Jansen is taken out by Mike Frantz as he skipped past him. A free kick here about 20 yards from goal on the left side of the box.
Decent stop from Schafer, as he dived to his left to push away Calhanoglu's effort. You'd expect a keeper to make that stop, but he still needed to.
They are fully in control, HSV, and I would be surprised if they didn't get another before the break. Plattenhardt looks to be in trouble as his clearance is blocked, but Zoua had fouled him.
Michael Wiesinger does not look happy in the dugout and I cannot blame him. At the moment what he wants his side to do just isn't translating to the pitch.
At the moment Nuremberg would be happy to get to the break for no further damage. They are being closed down as soon as they get to the HSV half and once more the visitors win it back and start a new attack. They are simply not picking up VDV who has so much space in which to create - he doesn't even need that much.
Kiyotake wins the ball on the half-way line and finds Drmic to his right. He looks up and finds Pekhart in the box, but his shot is rapidly closed down and blocked by Djourou. Difficult angle, but Djourou made it impossible.
Another move breaks down for Nuremberg as Plattenhardt's pass is cut out. Nuremberg are finishing the half strongly, at least, but don't look likely to score in the next two minutes.
HALF-TIME: Nuremberg 0-1 Hamburg
No stoppage time at the end of the first half that ends in HSV's favour thanks to Van der Vaart's superb strike. They deserve their lead, but the job is not done yet as Nuremberg did come into it towards the end of the 45.
Adler has hardly had anything to do in goal for the visitors, while Schafer has had a number of stops to make. Nuremberg's hunt for a clean sheet continues, but more pressing is that they need to break down HSV who have so far been solid at the back.
Wiesinger might well be tempted to change things at the break. In particular, Drmic and Hlousek have been very average and even Kiyotake has been closed down quickly by HSV.
The players are coming back out now. The home players, at least. We're still waiting for VDV et al.
KICKOFF: The hosts get us back underway here then, can they improve to get a result?
It's a strong start from the hosts, who get a couple of early crosses in, but they are dealt with well by the HSV defence. Then Frantz shoots from range but right down the throat of Adler.
Half-chance for Lasogga there as Jansen bursts down the left and crosses low, but the striker's effort is comfortable for Schafer down low. At the other end Pekhart has too much to do from Hlousek's cross and is eventually tackled as he tries to chest down.
CLOSE: Jansen is not far there from his near-post header from VDV's cross. He got in front of the defender but his flicked effort went just over.
Jansen has been really good in this half and he's almost away down the left again from Van der Vaart's pass. However, his touch allows Chandler in to put it behind for a corner. From it Westermann rises highest but his header is harmlessly wide.
Hasebe tries to drive through the middle but this HSV defence has really got the bit between its teeth. There are no gaps to exploit and Nuremberg continue to struggle to create chances.
The home fans are screaming for a foul as Adler comes storming out of his box to make a slide tackle on Drmic. It's given as an away throw, but that really could have gone against the goalkeeper! Very strange decision to come out.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-2 Hamburg (Lasogga)
Counter-attacking football at its best. Van der Vaart picks up the ball on half-way, drives forward before picking out Lasogga to his right. The striker is through and slots it into the opposite bottom corner to surely give his side the points. That's a brilliant goal.
HAMBURG SUB: Maximilian Beister comes on for Zoua, who has worked very hard but has been closed down well. Hamburg are so comfortable I can only see more away goals.
SAVE! Good save from Schafer there as VDV looks to clip the ball into the corner from the edge of the box.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-3 Hamburg (Lasogga)
Game, set and match. Direct from the corner that the Dutchman just won, he puts it right to the far post where Lasogga is there to tap in. The points are now surely safe and the home fans are full of whistles now. What a performance this is from VDV.
Beister is down here not long after coming on as he catches Schafer's leg trying to get to the ball. Hands are shaken, however, and he's up as Markus Feulner comes on for Frantz for the hosts.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-4 Hamburg (Pierre-Michel Lasogga)
What a way to complete your hat-trick! The ball is given away to him and he rifles it low from 25 yards, curling away from Schafer and in off the post. That's a seven-minute hat-trick!
The wait for a 0-0 this season well and truly continues then. It's a wait that we aren't anticipating of course, as it has been a superb start to the Bundesliga season. Hamburg, in particular Lasogga and VDV, have played their part here.
NUREMBERG SUB: Niklas Stark comes on for Kiyotake, who reall has been poor tonight.
GOAL! Nuremberg 0-5 Hamburg (Tolgay Arslan)
Well there have been some great goals today, and that's another! Schafer comes off his line but his clearance goes only to Arslan. It is not an easy chance from about 45 yards, but catches the chip perfectly and makes it 5-0. Brilliant stuff.
BOOKING: Pogatetz goes into the book for which is the first of the game. Sheer frustration tackle at 5-0 down that, straightforward yellow.
It's still all Hamburg and there could well be another goal in this. For the visitors, I mean. They are using every available player for the pass, before VDV looks for Lasogga with a long pass into the box, but the striker cannot control.
HAMBURG SUB: Arslan makes way for Jiracek, who is coming on to add a bit of grit in the middle for the closing stages.
CHANCE! Beister could have made it six! Lasogga this time the creator as he clips a cross towards Beister, but he can only find Schafer with his diving header. He's annoyed, but in fairness it doesn't mean a lot now!
HAMBURG SUB: Hat-trick hero Lasogga makes way for Artjoms Rudnevs. His work has been done today, and then some.
Nuremberg are finishing quite well, as Hasebe finds Feulner in the box. However, he's forced wide and can only hook the ball out of play.
FULL TIME: Nuremberg 0-5 Hamburg
So the referee ends Nuremberg's misery early. They have been well and truly outclassed and I wonder if Wiesinger might have taken control of his last game. That's all from me on this one, but please stick around for Freiburg vs. Frankfurt up next.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
