Hamburg overpower Bundesliga bottom side Gladbach

Hamburg beat Bundesliga bottom side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 on Friday after Kō Itakura's second booking just after half-time opened the door.

Gladbach have won just once in the league this term and succumbed despite showing recent signs of improvement under new coach Alexander Blessin. 

Hamburg came into the game having lost two in a row after previously winning three on the bounce in a mixed league season.

The home side went ahead when in-form Miro Muheim blasted in his third of the league campaign from 30 metres, but Gladbach's US defender Joe Scally levelled before the break.

Itakura's dismissal then left the Foals exposed and teenager Shafiq Nandja made them pay before Albert Grønbæk's fine third goal settled matters.

Hamburg move up to eighth while Gladbach, twice relegated in the Bundesliga era, are two adrift at the bottom.

A rare bit of good news for Gladbach this week was 17-year-old midfielder Wael Mohya being given a first call-up to Jürgen Klopp's Germany squad.

Borussia Dortmund host promoted Elversberg and champions Bayern Munich go to Mainz on Saturday. The big two are level on points at the top.