Hamburg's relegation worries remain after Hannover draw

Posted February 04, 2018 6:00 am

By CIARAN FAHEY

Augsburg's scorer Koo Ja-cheol, left, and Kevin Danso celebrate after the opening goal, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. (Stefan Puchner/dpa via AP) The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) - Hamburger SV failed to ease its relegation worries after being held to a 1-1 draw by Hannover in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Filip Kostic prevented an even worse outcome for hosts Hamburg when he scored late to salvage the draw, but Hamburg remains in the drop zone with 13 games left after its eighth match without a win.

Hamburg, the only side to have played every Bundesliga season since the league started in 1963, is three points behind Mainz in the relegation play-off place.

Werder Bremen is level with Mainz but safe as it stands due to a better goal difference. Bremen's goal difference is also better than Hamburg's.

Iver Fossum fired Hannover in front after Hamburg failed to properly clear a corner eight minutes before the break.

Bobby Wood missed a good chance to equalize before the home side had a penalty appeal waved away after Kostic went down under Salif Sane's challenge. Both the referee and video referee felt Sane got the ball.

Ihlas Bebou should have made it 2-0 after the break but goalkeeper Christian Mathenia got the better of their one-on-one.

Hamburg increased its pressure and Kostic equalized with four minutes remaining, scoring at the far post after Sejad Salihovic headed on a free kick.

Hamburg defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos was shown his second yellow card in injury time.

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MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Eintracht Frankfurt missed the chance to go second in the Bundesliga after slumping to a 3-0 defeat at Augsburg on Sunday.

Koo Ja-cheol got the home side off to a good start in the 19th minute, before Michael Gregoritsch and Marco Richter sealed Augsburg's eighth league win of the season.

The 20-year-old Richter scored his first league goal on only his second appearance for Augsburg, both as a substitute.

The hosts were missing top-scorer Alfred Finnbogason, who is out for around six weeks with a calf injury.

Augsburg climbed to seventh, two points behind Frankfurt, which would have gone to second and a point above Bayer Leverkusen with a win.

Bayern Munich leads by 18 points with 13 rounds remaining.

Augsburg's Kevin Danso, top, and Frankfurt's Luka Jovic, front, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. (Stefan Puchner/dpa via AP) The Associated Press

From left: Augsburg's Caiuby scorer Koo Ja-cheol and Kevin Danso celebrate the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. (Stefan Puchner/dpa via AP) The Associated Press

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