The two promoted teams went head-to-head, and they could not be in different places since their previous meeting. Hamburg now found themselves with a decent buffer to the relegation zone, while Köln’s poor form saw them sink lower and lower down the table. 

The first half lacked clear-cut chances for both sides, with neither keeper being truly challenged for the first 35 minutes. 

Then, against the run of play, Hamburg would open the scoring when a ball over the top of the Effzeh defence allowed Fabio Vieira to lob Marvin Schwäbe to make it 1-0. The host’s lead would not last for long, when just before half-time, Said El Mala would be at the back post to turn in a corner to make it 1-1. 

If there was a lack of chances in the first half, the second half proved to be a drought, as neither side were able to register a shot on target, and in fact, there were only six shots in total after the break (via FotMob), with three of them coming in the final two minutes of the game from Hamburg. 

Considering the current situation in the table, Köln will probably wish they came away with more, as the singular point does help them extend their lead over St.Pauli in the relegation playoff. However, they are still at risk of dropping further down the table, taking into account tomorrow’s games.

While Hamburg will be happy with the six-point gap over 16th and with eight games remaining, it is looking increasingly likely that they will survive their first season back in the top flight. 

Hamburger SV:

Daniel Heuer Fernandes (6), Warmed Omari (5), Luka Vuskovic (6), Jordan Torunarigha (5), William Mikelbrencis (5), Albert Sambi Lokonga (5), Nicolai Remberg (5), Miro Muheim (6), Ransford Königsdörffer (5), Fabio Vieira (6), Damion Downs (5)

Others: Jean-Luc Dompé (5), Otto Stange (5), Daniel Elfadli (-), Fabio Baldé (-)

1.FC Köln:

Marvin Schwäbe (5), Tom Krauß (6), Cenk Özkacar (6), Rev van den Berg (6), Kristoffer Lund (5), Isak Johannesson (5), Eric Martel (5), Youssoupha Niang (5), Jakub Kaminski (7), Said El Mala (6), Ragnar Ache (5)

Others: Linton Maina (5), Sebastian Sebulonsen (5), Marius Bülter (5), Felipe Chaves (-), Florian Kainz (-)

GGFN Man of the Match: Jakub Kaminski (7)

In a game of very little chances, of the few that there were, Kaminski was at the heart of it for Köln. The Pole created the most chances in the game (three) and had the highest touches in the opposition box. Since moving into a more central position, the 23-year-old has been one of the brightest sparks in a poor Köln side, and that was once again proven today.