San Francisco Frontiers - Hamburg draws blank on Bundesliga return

Hamburg were playing in the Bundesliga for the first time in 2,661 days since they were relegated despite a last-day 2-1 win over the same opponent.

Hamburg looked poised to steal the match when William Mikelbrencis headed the ball in with 89 minutes played, but the strike was overturned for offside.

Replays showed the ball was already goalbound and the score might have stood had the French defender not intervened.

Gladbach had the better of the second half but Hamburg's defence, heavily changed since their promotion, stood firm.

Six-time German champions and winners of the 1983 European Cup, Hamburg were relegated in 2018 after years of circling the drain.

Hamburg were the last remaining top-flight team not to have played in the second division in the Bundesliga era.

The club struggled to make it back to the top flight with a series of agonisingly near misses, finishing fourth four times and third twice.

In Sunday's earlier game, Marius Buelter scored in the final minute to give Cologne a 1-0 win at 10-man Mainz.

Mainz were reduced to 10 men when winger Paul Nebel was red carded for a last man foul with half an hour remaining.

With the match headed for stoppage time, Buelter leapt high to head in a Luca Waldschmidt cross.

Cologne, promoted alongside Hamburg at the end of last season, last won a top-flight match in May 2024.

Z.Phillips--SFF