Football | Bundesliga’s 1,000th own-goal helps Hamburg beat Hoffenheim

Hamburg’s Jann-Fete Arp (right) celebrates after an own goal by Hoffenheim’s Kevin Akpoguma

Helped by the Bundesliga’s 1,000th own-goal, Hamburger SV defeated Hoffenheim 3-0 for its second straight win at home on Sunday.

With five defeats from six away league games so far, Hamburg was banking on points at the Volksparkstadion to stay above the relegation zone following Freiburg’s defeat of Mainz on Saturday.

“It’s important that we become a force at home again,” Hamburg defender Dennis Diekmeier said.

Serge Gnabry should have put Hoffenheim ahead in the second minute before Kevin Akpoguma’s own-goal at the other end. Douglas Santos fired in a low cross that Akpoguma turned past his own goalkeeper with Hamburg forward Jann-Fiete Arp lurking just behind.

It was the league’s 1,000th own-goal since it started in 1963.

Bobby Wood struck the post for Hamburg after the break, Filip Kostic drew a good save from Oliver Baumann, and the 17-year-old Arp forced an even better one.

Kostic finally scored the side’s second with a quarter-hour remaining. The Serbian midfielder capitalized on a lack of Hoffenheim concentration to fire a quick free kick past the hapless Baumann, who should have saved it.

Gideon Jung completed an afternoon to forget for Hoffenheim late on.

Hamburg stayed two points above Freiburg, which is in the relegation playoff place. Hoffenheim dropped to seventh.

COLOGNE LOSES AGAIN

Hertha Berlin forward Vedad Ibisevic scored in either half to inflict a 2-0 defeat on Cologne, the home side’s 11th defeat in 13 games.

Ibisevic scored from close range on the rebound early on after Timo Horn blocked Davie Selke’s header from a corner.

The Bosnian forward converted a penalty midway through the second half after Cologne captain Matthias Lehmann brought down Selke.

Cologne already had its own penalty appeal turned down on video evidence after Sehrou Guirassy’s shot was blocked by Karim Rekik’s arm. Rekik was falling at the time and referee Bibiana Steinhaus decided the contact was involuntary after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

The 16-year-old Cologne defender Yann-Aurel Bisseck played the full game to become the league’s second youngest ever player after Borussia Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin. Ciaran Fahey, Berlin, AP