RB Leipzig, the reigning German Cup champions, defeated Hamburg, a team from the second division, 4-0 on Tuesday to advance to the round of 16 of the competition. A quick brace from Youssouf Poulsen was vital in RB Leipzig’s success (33rd, 36th).
The second major architect of qualification was the French defender Mohamed Simakan of the “Bulls,” who contributed both a goal (in the 68th minute) and an assist.
The guys coached by Marco Rose, who is currently struggling in the league and are positioned in an unsatisfactory tenth place, used this match as an opportunity to rebuild their confidence. Youssouf Poulsen, a striker for RB Leipzig who was brought in specifically for the match, proved to be the team’s savior by converting the chances that were presented to him by Simakan (in the 33rd) and André Silva (in the 36th), respectively.
A terrible way to start things off for the guests, who held their own in the first half hour and defended themselves admirably until shaking the bar in front of a shocked Blaswich (20th).
Through Mohamed Simakan (in the 68th minute) on a corner kick and Benjamin Henrichs on a counter-attack, Leipzig was able to regain possession of the ball in Hamburg and win the match. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the second half (81st). A single Dompé cross that was slightly diverted led to the only offensive opportunity for HSV (59th).
In the other matches that started at six o’clock in the evening, Frankfurt, the team that Marseille will face in the Champions League, punched its ticket to the eighth round by eliminating the D5 club from the Stuttgarter Kickers (2-0).