Hamburg stay in Bundesliga after winning thrilling relegation play-off
Monday 1 June 2015 22:22, UK
Hamburg narrowly avoided a first-ever relegation after a dramatic late fightback saw them beat Karlsruhe 3-2 on aggregate in the relegation play-off.
With the tie evenly poised at 1-1 following the first leg, Karlsruhe took the lead at their sold-out Wildpark stadium when replacement Reinhold Yabo scored a 78th-minute goal.
But Marcelo Diaz equalised in the 91st minute to force extra-time and Nicolai Mueller came off the bench to break Karlsruhe hearts when he tapped home in the 115th minute.
There was still time for more drama as Karlsruhe were awarded a penalty, but Rene Adler saved from Rouwen Hennings to ensure Hamburg won the relegation play-off for the second year running.
The result also preserves their status of being the only club to have been in the top flight every season since the Bundesliga began in 1963.
Karlsruhe miss out on a spot in Germany's top flight alongside second division champions Ingolstadt and runners-up Darmstadt, who were both promoted.
"We kept coming back and we believed in ourselves," said Hamburg head coach Bruno Labbadia.
Hamburg have hovered near the bottom of the table in recent seasons and Labbadia needs to rebuild the team with the expected departure of several players, including midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.
