Verl 0-3 Hamburg: Grönbeck double leads HSV to comfortable DFB-Pokal victory (full match highlights)

On August 24, 2026, at the stadium in Verl, Hamburg secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over the hosts in the DFB-Pokal first round. The referee blew the starting whistle at 19:00 Moscow time. The first half was dominated by the visitors, who created chances in front of the hosts' goal but struggled to break the deadlock. However, in the 41st minute, Albert Grönbeck managed to beat the Verl defense and find the back of the net, opening the scoring — 0-1. This goal was a psychological blow for the hosts, who had defended well up to that point. The second half began with even more aggressive play from Hamburg, and in the 46th minute, Grönbeck completed his brace with his second goal of the match — 0-2. The visitors continued to dominate and in the 65th minute, Louis Lemke put the final touch on the victory with a third goal — 0-3. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle. Match statistics: Hamburg had 63% possession, recorded 18 shots on goal compared to Verl's 5, and completed 84% of their passes against Verl's 66%. Albert Grönbeck, with his brace, was the man of the match. Hamburg advanced confidently to the next round of the DFB-Pokal, reaffirming their status as favourites. Verl, despite the defeat, could be proud of their first-half performance, but the class of the opposition told in the second half. Hamburg's manager praised his team's performance and their readiness for new challenges in the tournament. Verl, meanwhile, gained valuable experience playing against a strong Bundesliga side. The DFB-Pokal continues, and this match was one of Hamburg's most confident performances in the first round.