Ghanaian winger Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer was the hero for Hamburger SV, scoring the decisive goal in a tense 1-0 victory over FC Köln at the Volksparkstadion.

The win pushed Hamburg to the top of the Bundesliga 2 standings, overtaking their rivals in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash.

Both sides began the match with significant stakes: Hamburg sought to reclaim the top, while Cologne had ambitions to strengthen their position as league leaders.

The first half saw very few opportunities as both team were cautious and didn't want to give anything away. Cologne's Jusuf Gazibegović and Immanuël Pherai of Hamburg received early yellow cards which highlighted the competitive nature of the midfield battle.

However, the game opened up in the second half after the two managers made tactical adjustments. The hosts came close in the 60th minute when Adam Karabec’s powerful header forced a brilliant save from Marvin Schwäbe.

Hamburg's breakthrough finally arrived in the 78th minute. Substitute Finkgräfe’s foul on Richter handed Hamburg a penalty. Although Königsdörffer’s initial effort was saved by Schwäbe, the Ghanaian winger pounced on the rebound to fire home the decisive goal for his side.

Despite a late surge and attacking changes by Cologne, Hamburg’s defence held firm, securing them a vital victory in front of a jubilant home crowd.