SV Hamburg scored twice in the opening 10 minutes for a 4-0 triumph over lowly Mainz on Sunday in their best match since a summer return into the Bundesliga from seven years in the second tier. 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 a summer return into the Bundesliga from seven years in the second tier.
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.
Heidenheim returned to last place, on goal difference against Borussia Mönchengladbach who drew 0-0 with Freiburg and are still waiting for a first season win.
Hamburg shine
Hamburg are ninth, 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 against third-last Mainz.
"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
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.
Still no Gladbach win
Gladbach were improved from their 6-4 home defeat last weekend against Eintracht Frankfurt where they were 6-0 down after 47 minutes, and Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu was called into action several times, most notably against Florian Neuhaus in the 49th.
The visitors almost stole a late victory from Derry Scherhant's tight-angle free-kich which goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas just pushed against the bar.
Freiburg are now unbeaten in six games in all competitions, having drawn 1-1 at Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday.
Category: General Sports
