The result moves Carlo Ancelotti’s men three points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table, but they did suffer a blow when key defender Mats Hummels limped off early in the second half with what appeared to be a knee injury.
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Bayern’s Mats Hummels, center, is helped by medical staff to leave the pitch after being injured during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Hamburger SV and FC Bayern Munich in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016.
“I have never met him but I know he was a fantastic player”, Ancelotti said. – Franck Ribery has been directly involved in nine goals (two goals, seven assists) in eight competitive games under Carlo Ancelotti.
“It was a very hard affair, which at the end was settled by an incredible moment from Thiago and Franck”, said Hummels.
“We were a bit slow and a bit unprecise in our play”.
The Italian coach is bidding to win an eighth straight game since taking the Bayern reins in the summer and his reward would be a night out with his team at Munich’s beer festival.
Ancelotti was in agreement with his star ahead of the trip to the Volksparkstadion, and stated that Robben would figure from the bench for the foreseeable future.
“We were better after the break and had three or four fat chances, but at the end we were lucky to have got the goal”. “He’ll play in the second half”.
“When they are both friends, then it’s just a pleasantry, but I’m not sure how well they know each other”, he added tongue-in-cheek.
In contrast, Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia was under pressure before the game after garnering just one point from four matches, and criticism from club chairman Dietmar Beiersdorfer followed defeats to promoted sides Leipzig and Freiburg.
Labbadia’s Hamburg certainly put in the work, covering 115km kilometres in the game – nine more than the Bayern team.
The champions’ first big chance came after nearly an hour with Javi Martinez’s effort cleared on the line by Adler, who was also on hand to save a curled David Alaba free kick 10 minutes later.
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“We didn’t want to be the rabbit caught in the headlights”, said Labbadia.
