With this the first of a two-legged affair to decide who claims Bundesliga status for next season, Stuttgart could only have dreamt of getting off to the start they did.
Not even a minute was on the clock when Konstantinos Mavropanos headed the hosts ahead from Borna Sosa’s corner, handing Stuttgart the perfect start and incentive to kick on.
Despite the clear gulf in class, finding a second goal was proving tricky for Sebastian Hoeness’s side, with Serhou Guirassy racing clear on goal only to see his tame effort easily gathered by Daniel Heuer Fernandes.
The pair were soon thrust into battle again when Guirassy stepped forward from the spot, following Ludovit Reis’ foul on Enzo Millot in the area. However, it was Fernandes who again came out on top, guessing the right way to beat away yet another tame effort from Stuttgart’s top-scorer.
Fortunately for Guirassy, his misses weren’t punished by Hamburg, and instead his teammate Josha Vagnoman was on hand to spare his blushes early in the second half.
Coming in a little slower than their first-half opener, Vagnoman was on hand to tap into an unguarded net at the far post and leave his former employers with a mountain to climb.
It was game, and maybe even tie over before the hour mark, as Guirassy atoned for his earlier errors to add Stuttgart’s third from another corner, with Hamburg crumbling under the pressure.
The visitors’ evening soon went from bad to worse too, when they were reduced to 10 men. Anssi Suhonen was the man dismissed, with his high challenge on Vagnoman deemed worthy of a red card by Tobias Welz - a decision which will consequently see him miss the second leg.
It’s been quite the come-down for Hamburg of late, who after celebrating promotion on the pitch at the weekend only to learn of Heidenheim’s stoppage-time comeback, are now staring down the barrel of a sixth-successive season in 2.Bundesliga.
In stark contrast, despite footing up the Bundesliga in April, Stuttgart look to have pulled off a great escape, with only an almighty collapse standing in their way of retaining their top-flight status.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Borna Sosa (Stuttgart)
