Bundesliga: Asllani, Lemperle Fire Hoffenheim Past Hamburg in 2-1 Win

Lemperle volley seals crucial away win

Hoffenheim beat Hamburg 2-1 to move closer to UCL spots while pushing HSV toward the drop. Glatzel penalty not enough as Lemperle nets decisive goal.

Christian Ilzer turns Hoffenheim into UCL contenders with Hamburg win. Club-record victory leaves them chasing fourth with three games left...

TSG Hoffenheim boosted their UEFA Champions League hopes with a second straight Bundesliga win, beating Hamburger SV 2-1 away to set a new club record for top-flight victories in a season.

 

With both sides’ recent form making the game crucial to their ambitions, it began at a fast tempo. Hamburg’s early threat soon faded, though, letting Hoffenheim take control and open the scoring inside 20 minutes.

Vladimir Coufal somehow kept the ball in on the right, then delivered a cross for Fisnik Asllani to side-foot past Daniel Heuer Fernandes.

With a win likely to secure safety, the hosts responded, capitalising on an Ozan Kabak error to level.

Robert Glatzel broke through and was brought down while rounding Oliver Baumann, winning a penalty that he converted himself straight down the middle.

But Hamburg fell behind again right before half-time when Albian Hajdari’s wayward header dropped perfectly for Tim Lemperle, who volleyed under Heuer Fernandes from close range.

Pausenführung! pic.twitter.com/CiEKIQpSqz

— TSG Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheim) April 25, 2026

It was harsh on a Hamburg side who weren’t second best in the half, but they kept pushing after the break as Ransford Konigsdorffer failed to turn Nicolas Capaldo’s cross goalward.

  

As the game got scrappier and chances dried up, Bakery Jatta will rue missing an unmarked header from Fabio Vieira’s cross – especially as it proved to be their last real chance to take something from the match.

Christian Ilzer has turned Hoffenheim from relegation candidates into potential UCL contenders, setting up a fascinating final three matchdays to see if they can edge out Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen for fourth.

At the other end, a six-game winless run has dragged Hamburg back into trouble, though they still have a five-point cushion over rivals St. Pauli in the relegation play-off spot.