Plattenhardt keeps Hertha in the Bundesliga

Hamburg 0-2 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Boyata 4’ (assist: Plattenhardt), 0-2 Plattenhardt 63’
Red card: Tousart (90'+6)

Hertha boss Felix Magath said ahead of kick-off in the city where he made his name that his team will get chances with the pressure on HSV to defend a 1-0 lead from the first leg. And that was immediately true as the Berliners struck with the first effort of the game, captain Dedryck Boyata heading in a Plattenhardt corner with four minutes on the clock to level the tie. After a lacklustre first-leg display, this was far better from the Bundesliga club, who pressed the hosts high up the pitch and managed a season best 10 first-half shots – double their total from the whole of the first leg. Lucas Tousart stung the hands of Daniel Heuer Fernandes with the next best chance, but at the same time Hertha kept things very tight at the back and allowed HSV just the one attempt off target in the first 45 minutes.

The Bundesliga 2 club managed two efforts on target in the first four minutes of the second half with a much improved display, but first-leg goalscorer Ludovit Reis and Moritz Heyer were both denied by Oliver Christensen in goal. His opposite number was soon busy as well, but Heuer Fernandes was able to react quickly to Plattenhardt’s near-post effort. However, the former Germany left-back got the better of the HSV goalkeeper not long after when his free-kick from wide on the right sailed over the Portugal youth international and into the far corner to finally put Hertha ahead in the tie. Tousart was shown a second yellow deep in added time as the score remained the same, with Hamburg unable to get the goal they needed to take the play-off to extra-time. They will spend a fifth season in the second division, while Hertha will remain in the Bundesliga for a 10th straight campaign.

• Boyata’s goal was his first of the season.
• Plattenhardt’s was his first since May 2019 in a 4-3 win at Augsburg. Seven of his eight regular season Bundesliga goals have been from direct free-kicks.
• Hertha’s last five goals have come from set pieces, meaning eight out of 13 scored under Magath have been from dead balls.
• The Bundesliga club has won the two-legged play-off in 18 out of 24 renditions, including nine of the last 10 years.
• It’s the second year in a row the Bundesliga 2 club has won the first leg on the road but then lost the return fixture at home to miss out on promotion.
• HSV lost a play-off game for the first time in their sixth fixture.

Watch: Boyata: "Fabulous for us"

Hamburg: Heuer Fernandes – Heyer (Gyamerah 82’), Vuskovic, Schonlau (c), Muheim – Reis, Meffert, Rohr (Vagnoman 58’) – Jatta (Kaufmann 74’), Glatzel, Kittel
Unused subs: Mickel, David, Kinsombi, Chakvetadze, Alidou, Wintzheimer
Out: Leibold (knee), Suhonen (broken leg)
Coach: Tim Walter

Hertha: Christensen – Pekarik, Boyata (c), Kempf, Plattenhardt (Bjorkan 81’) – Tousart, Ascacibar, Serdar (Stark 85’) – Boateng (Darida 89’) – Belfodil (Maolida 82’), Jovetic
Unused subs: Körber, Mittelstädt, Eitschberger, Richter, Wollschläger
Out: Dardai (hip), Gechter (ill), Jarstein (knee), Klünter (shoulder), Lee (ankle), Lotka (concussion), Selke (muscular), Schwolow (thigh)
Coach: Felix Magath

Watch: Magath: "I didn't wish for it like this"