Clinical Hamburg thrash Mainz

Hamburg 4-0 Mainz
Goals: 1-0 Sambi Lokonga 6', 2-0 Philippe 10', 3-0 Dompé 52' (assist: Capaldo), 4-0 Philippe 61' (assist: Remberg)

With both sides sitting just a point apart in the lower half of the Bundesliga table, the match presented an opportunity for one team to kick-start their season. Hamburg had started to find some stability with points in their previous two league matches, though scoring had been a significant issue with just two goals in five games.

Mainz arrived in Hamburg fresh from a midweek European adventure, having traveled over 2,700 kilometers to secure a 1-0 victory against Omonia Nicosia in the UEFA Europa Conference League. The visitors welcomed back Benedict Hollerbach from injury while Hamburg gave a first competitive start to Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The home side wasted no time in making their mark on proceedings, taking the lead after just six minutes. Giorgi Gocholeishvili drove forward from the flank and cut inside before unleashing a shot that struck the post, but Sambi Lokonga reacted quickest to sweep home the rebound on his first competitive start for Merlin Polzin's team.

The Volksparkstadion barely had time to settle before HSV doubled their advantage in the 10th minute. Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer delivered a cross from the right wing which Philippe controlled before cleverly shifting the ball to his right and firing through Dominik Kohr's legs past stand-in keeper Lasse Rieß.

Despite Mainz enjoying 60 percent possession, it was the home side who continued to look most dangerous after the break. Bo Henriksen introduced Nelson Weiper at half-time to bolster the attack, and yet it was Hamburg who struck again in the 52nd minute. Nicolas Capaldo won possession in midfield and played in Jean-Luc Dompé, who burst into the penalty area before unleashing a thunderous right-footed strike that flew into the roof of the net.

The Frenchman had an opportunity to score just moments before and made up for his miss in the best way possible to give his team the third goal.

The third goal effectively ended the contest, but Hamburg weren't done just yet. In the 61st minute, Nicolai Remberg sent Philippe clear, and the forward kept his composure to dink the ball coolly over Rieß for his second of the match and Hamburg's fourth.

In one unforgettable evening against Mainz, Polzin's team had scored more than each of their last five Bundesliga encounters combined. 

While Hamburg's attack grabbed the headlines, their defensive performance was just as impressive. Luka Vušković, the 18-year-old centre-back, was a commanding presence throughout, winning an impressive total of 16 duels, which was more than anyone else on the pitch.

Mainz struggled to create clear-cut chances, with their best effort coming in the first 45 from Kaishu Sano's well-struck shot from distance that forced Daniel Heuer Fernandes into a full-stretch save. 

Philippe was the star of Hamburg's four-goal show, scoring twice from his five attempts on goal to power Hamburg to victory. The Frenchman's first goal underlined his excellent composure, controlling the ball in a tight space before firing through Kohr's legs.

His second was perhaps even better, latching onto Remberg's pass on the counter-attack before delicately lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hamburg 1.7 - Mainz 0.69
Fastest player: Rayan Philippe (Hamburg), 34.12 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-0 by Jean-Luc Dompé (Hamburg), 3 percent
Most pressed player: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Robert Glatzel (Hamburg), +1.43

Fantasy Heroes: Rayan Philippe (Hamburg, 363 Points), Luka Vušković (Hamburg, 255 Points), Daniel Heuer Fernandes (Hamburg, 233 Points)