Advertisement
AP/Press Association Images

A European Cup winner narrowly avoided relegation in the most dramatic fashion tonight

It was a close run thing for Hamburg.

HAMBURG AVOIDED A first relegation from Germanyโ€™s top flight with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win at Karlsruhe in Mondayโ€™s relegation play-off second-leg to seal a 3-2 aggregate win.

Replacement Nicolai Mueller scored Hamburgโ€™s winner in the 115th minute, but Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler was Hamburgโ€™s hero by saving a penalty by Karlsruheโ€™s Rouwen Hennings in the 123rd minute.

Adlerโ€™s save means Hamburg win the relegation play-off for the second year running and sealed the come-back win.

It also meant Hamburg retained their status as the only team never to have been relegated from the Bundesliga.

After a 1-1 draw in last Thursdayโ€™s first-leg in Hamburg, Karlsruhe had taken the lead at their sold-out Wildpark stadium when replacement Reinhold Yabo scored a 78th-minute goal.

But Hamburg fought back and with time running out Chile international Marcelo Diaz claimed a dramatic equaliser in the 91st-minute to force extra-time.
https://vine.co/v/ehgM52ugdJi

Mueller came off the bench to break Karlsruhe hearts when he tapped home Brazilian defender Cleberโ€™s final pass for the winner which left Karlsruhe needing to score twice because of the away goals.

There was still time for more drama when referee Manuel Graefe pointed to the spot for a dubious penalty after judging Hamburg defender Johan Djourou had touched the ball.

But Hennings, the second-divisionโ€™s top-scorer, was left with his head in his hands as Adler pushed his spot-kick onto the post.

Germany Soccer Bundesliga Nicolai Mueller scored the crucial goal to spark jubilant scenes AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

It denied Karlsruhe a return to the Bundesliga for the first time since their relegation in 2009 and they miss out on a spot in Germanyโ€™s top flight alongside second division champions Ingolstadt and runners-up Darmstadt, who were both promoted.

Hamburg are the only club to have been in the top flight in every season since the Bundesliga began in 1963, but needed to beat Greuther Fuerth on away goals in a play-off to stay up last season.

 ยฉ AFP โ€“ 2015 

Sepp Blatterโ€™s daughter has come out to defend her father

Ireland gathered in Malahide today ahead of a busy fortnight but a lot of players were missing

Author
View comments
Close
Comments
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.