With recent form for both sides making this game vital to their respective ambitions, the contest started at pace. Early promise from Hamburg quickly dissipated, though, allowing Hoffenheim to seize control and get the opener inside 20 minutes.
Vladimir Coufal seemed to defy physics to keep the ball in on the right-hand side, before sending in a cross for Fisnik Asllani to arrive and side-foot past Daniel Heuer Fernandes.
Knowing that victory would all but guarantee their safety, the hosts rallied, taking advantage of a mistake from Ozan Kabak to equalise.
Robert Glatzel raced through and was taken down while rounding Oliver Baumann, resulting in a penalty which Glatzel buried down the middle of the goal himself.
However, Hamburg were pegged back once again just moments before half-time when Albian Hajdari’s speculative header into the crowd fell perfectly for Tim Lemperle, who volleyed underneath Heuer Fernandes from close range.
That was a cruel blow for a Hamburg side who hadn’t been second best in the half, but they continued to push for redemption after the break as Ransford Konigsdorffer failed to steer Nicolas Capaldo’s cross goalward.
As things started to get scrappier and chances harder to come by, Bakery Jatta would have been kicking himself not to bury an unmarked header from Fabio Vieira’s cross, especially as that proved to be their last clear chance to get anything out of the game.
Christian Ilzer has transformed Hoffenheim from relegation candidates to potential UCL participants, and it will be a fascinating final three matchdays to see whether they can beat Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen to fourth place.
At the other end, a six-match winless run has pushed Hamburg back into the mire, but they still hold a five-point buffer to rivals St. Pauli in the relegation play-off spot.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Albian Hajdari (Hoffenheim)
