MD 14 SC HAMBURG 23 2–1 BRUSSELS KV

HAMBURG RETURN TO FORM WITH A SENSATIONAL VICTORY

Written by Saad Maan, Forta Evening News

Hamburg has been a roller coaster this season. From the highs of defeating Zagreb on opening day to losing 6-0 against Vienna, many didn't expect them to get anything out of this game. Brussels have gone from a relegation fighting team in S2 to a dark horse in S3, recently recording big wins over Zagreb and Madrid.

Following their humiliation against Vienna, the Hamburg captain took the advice of an unknown advisor and opted for a more defensively stable shape, which showed in the first half as neither team managed to score. This doesn't come as a surprise, however, as Brussels isn't known for high-scoring games either. In the first half, we would only see one shot on target, without it being of any danger.

Going into the second-half, Brussels would push up their midfielders, lining up next to the forward line at times. This move would pay off in the 49th minute, as Tijani headed home Mario Lavorata's cross, which came after a significant amount of Brussels' pressure.

In typical Hamburg fashion, they launched a quick attack, which would end in a one-two between Akiyama Hernandez and Jason Rodriguez Jr, with the former finishing the move off with a stylish finish, equalizing the score.

With the momentum and the fans on their side, it would take just nine minutes for Hamburg to take the lead. Following a foul outside of Brussels' box in the 84th minute, Hernandez played it quickly to Ethan Lederman Jr, who scored his second goal of the season with an incredible half-volley.

Hamburg's late comeback win sees them one point shy of Norden, who sit in sixth place after suffering a similar fate to Hamburg against Vienna. Brussels holds onto their fourth place, but lose ground on the title favourites as underperforming Madrid look to snag their place in the top four.