Bundesliga round 33: Freiburg 0 - 0 HSV
HSV was easily the better side in the sold out Dreisamstadion this afternoon, but a lack of goal scoring prowess saw Klaus Toppmöller's side come away from the penultimate game of the season with only a point, when it should really have been three.
HSV have now qualified for the Intertoto Cup and could sneak into the UEFA Cup through the back door if they do well in the qualifying matches. Freiburg got the point they needed to stay in the Bundesliga for another season.
Hamburg's coach Klaus Toppmöller made only one change to the side which battled its way to a 2-1 home win over Stuttgart last time out. The Japanese striker Takahara replaced Bernardo Romeo in the starting line-up. Both sides began the game on a cautious note, Freiburg were not allowed to settle by HSV and the sides cancelled each other out for most of the time, with misplacedc passes being the order of the day. HSV went close in the 10th minute as Takahara hit the side netting with a fierce shot. The visitors dominated the middle of the park, sending Mahdavikia on his way time and time again. The Iranian striker however had left his scoring boots in Hamburg today.
It took until the 17th minute for the home side to threaten Stefan Wächter's goal, as a powerful header by Coulibaly was brilliantly pushed onto a post by the HSV keeper. Freiburg began to win things in the air, but was unable to capitalise on that superiority. On 33 minutes it was once again Coulibaly who went close, this time with a stinging shot from the edge of the box which fizzed just over the bar. HSV continued in a positive mode and were the better side during the first half which finished goalless.
The visiting side remained on top after the break, as missed chances by first Barbarez (54.) and then Mahdavikia (56.) underlined. After an hour the pace of the game increased, and it became an end to end affair. On 63 minutes Freiburg had their best chance of the match as Riether fed Coulibaly who rounded Wächter in the HSV goal. The Mali-born player failed to push the ball into the empty net. Two minutes later HSV should have gone ahead, but Takahara could only put a strong header onto the underside of the crossbar without an opponent in sight.
HSV kept their foot on the gas, but shot themselves in the foot after 77 minutes as Milan Fukal picked up his second yellow card of the match, as he tripped the former HSV player Rodar Antar on the halfway line, as the Lebanese striker tried to start a Freiburg attack. After that HSV played out time for the draw which they richly deserved.
Freiburg: Reinard - Müller, Diarra - Kruppke, Riether, A. Zeyer, Tskitishvili, Berner - Coulibaly - Antar, Iashvili
HSV: Wächter - Fukal, Hoogma, Ujfalusi, Wicky - Schlicke, Mahdavikia, Jarolim, Beinlich - Takahara, Barbarez
Source: HSV.de
