SV Hamburg scored twice in the opening 10 minutes for a 4-0 triumph over lowly Mainz on Sunday in their best match since returning into the Bundesliga in summer from seven years in the second division. Albert Sambi Lokonga in the sixth and Rayan Philippe four minutes later put the former European champions on course before Jean-Luc Dompé in the 52nd and Philippe with his second in the 61st wrapped up a big and morale-boosting victory.
SV Hamburg scored twice in the opening 10 minutes for a 4-0 triumph over lowly Mainz on Sunday in their best match since returning into the Bundesliga in summer from seven years in the second division.
Albert Sambi Lokonga in the sixth and Rayan Philippe four minutes later put the former European champions on course before Jean-Luc Dompé in the 52nd and Philippe with his second in the 61st wrapped up a big and morale-boosting victory.
VfB Stuttgart meanwhile rebounded from mid-week Europa League disappointment with a third straight league win, 1-0 over lowly Heidenheim from Bilal El Khannouss' winner in the 65th.
Stuttgart rose into fourth place and have won their first three home games all with a clean sheet for the first time since the title winning 1991-92 season.
Hamburg shine
Hamburg are eighth, having garnered seven points in the last three games after early painful defeats against crosstown rivals St Pauli (2-0) and champions Bayern Munich (5-0).
They opened the scoring early when Giorgi Gocholeishvili's shot was palmed against the left post by Mainz goalkeeper Laase Riess and Lokonka netted on the rebound six minutes into his starting 11 debut.
Philippe grabbed the second when he controlled a cross and fired into the far left corner.
Mainz, who won 1-0 at Omonia Nicosia in the Conference League on Thursday, slowly got into the game but all hopes ended seven minutes after the restart from Dompé's tight-angle effort into the roof of the net.
Philippe completed his brace for 4-0 when he chipped over Riess after a run across half the pitch on the counter. Fabio Baldé narrowly missed a fifth late on.
"We did a good job and the fans really pushed us. We fight for each other, and that makes the difference in the end," Hamburg defender Nicolai Remberg told streaming portal DAZN.
Stuttgart fight to win
Mainz are third bottom, and Heidenheim are below them in second last after Stuttgart proved too strong.
Coming off a 2-0 defeat against Swiss side Basel on Thursday, Stuttgart struggled in the first half to find an opening but upped their game after the break.
El Khannouss broke the deadlock into the bottom right corner off Maximilian Mittelstädt, before El Khannouss and Jamie Leweling were denied a second by goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.
"I am proud, the team really delivered," Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness said.
Bottom side Borussia Mönchengladbach host Freiburg in the late game.
Category: General Sports
