FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Hamburger SV’s hopes of avoiding relegation for the first time in club history took a blow when it had to settle for 0-0 with Greuther Fuerth in the home leg of the Bundesliga playoff on Thursday.
Hamburg finished the regular season with five straight defeats and played with little confidence against the team that placed third in the second division.
The second leg is on Sunday in Fuerth. The aggregate winner will play in the Bundesliga next season.
Hamburg is the only founding member never to have been relegated in the Bundesliga’s 51-year history.
Greuther Fuerth is seeking to return to the Bundesliga after one season in the second.
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