Leverkusen win 1-0 in Hamburg to remain in top four hunt

Bayer Leverkusen won 1-0 at SV Hamburg on Wednesday night to keep alive their Bundesliga top four ambitions for Champions League football.

Christian Kofane fired into the roof of the net off Ibrahim Maza's through ball in the 73rd minute of a game originally scheduled for mid-January but postponed owing to winter weather.

Leverkusen dominated as Martin Terrier hit the crossbar with a looping volley in the 13th and Edmond Tapsoba's header in the 54th was saved by Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes.

A minute later Hamburg captain Nicolai Remberg aimed straight at Leverkusen keeper Janis Blaswich from a promising position.

Hamburg were lucky in the 66th when Heuer Fernandes missed a corner kick and the ball went in but it did so off Tapsoba's arm.

Leverkusen's lead came a few minutes later, and Blaswich preserved it with a stoppage time save against substitute Otto Stange and Luka Vuskovic who also headed against the bar on the last play of the match.

Leverkusen are sixth but moced within three points of Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart in third and fourth, and within one of RB Leipzig.

The top four qualify for the Champions League but the fifth-placed team may also got in.

Hamburg suffered a second straight home defeat and in 11th are only four points above the danger zone.