Hamburg celebrates Bundesliga return with goalless draw at Gladbach

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BERLIN (AP) — Hamburger SV returned from a seven-year absence and emerged from its first game back in the Bundesliga with a 0-0 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The promoted side spent much of Sunday’s game defending, with goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes diving well to deny Gladbach captain Rocco Reitz among other saves.

“We knew we were coming up against a strong team that would have many people in midfield, so we kept it tight in the center and tried to hit on counterattacks,” Heuer Fernandes said. “Of course you never know where you stand after such a (difficult) pre-season, but I think everyone saw today how we can take on the league and that's exactly how it should go.”

Hamburg substitutes Jean-Luc Dompé and Yussuf Poulsen increased their team’s attacking threat for the last 15 minutes. William Mikelbrencis, another substitute, thought he’d scored a late winner but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Hamburg was the last surviving member of the Bundesliga to have played every season since its formation in 1963, earning the nickname “der Dino,” until it was finally relegated in 2018 after several close shaves.

Hamburg next faces city rival St. Pauli for a derby at home next Friday.

Gladbach signed Gio Reyna from Borussia Dortmund on Saturday but the American wasn't included in the squad.

Cologne marked its return as second-division champion with a 1-0 win at Mainz, which had Paul Nebel sent off on the hour-mark for a tactical foul to stop Jakub Kaminski. Kaminski would have been through on goal.

The sending off provided encouragement for Cologne, which had been primarily defending up to then, and Kaminski’s strike partner Marius Bülter headed the winner in the final minute.

“The whole 90 minutes were wild,” Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok said after his Bundesliga debut. “It wasn't a culinary delight from a footballing point of view.”

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