<span class="titolo">Uefa Cup Group D: Hamburg Beat Lacklustre Rennes</span></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <span class="sommario"> Hamburg gifted trainer Huub Stevens the ideal 54th birthday present with three points against a weak Rennes team in their Uefa Cup group D match.</span></p> The Hanseaten took the lead after half an hour, and after the restart they didn’t have to get out of second gear against a weak French side. Substitute Choupo-Moting clinched the win seven minutes from time, before Zidan converted a 90th minute penalty. </p> Hamburg made hard work of things in the opening half hour with Rennes sitting deep in their own half. The guest were happy to counter with Wiltord and Briand looking lively. </p> Captain van der Vaart created the first two opportunities for Hamburg only for Castelen to be denied twice. However, the home side did make the breakthrough on 30 minutes. Olic and van der Vaart combined well after a defensive error and the Dutchman converted.</p> Rennes attempted to come out of their shells in the second half but to little effect. Huub Stevens side had far more of the game and there were further good chances from Trochowski and Vincent Kompany.</p> In the closing 15 minutes Hamburg did raise their game and Rafael van der Vaart laid on the second goal for substitute Choupo-Moting. Then with the game virtually over, Hamburg’s second substitute Mohamed Zidan added a third from the penalty spot.</p> 1-0 van der Vaart (30)</p> 2-0 Choupo-Moting (83)</p> 3-0 Zidan (90)</p> Hamburg: Rost, Boateng, Reinhardt, Mathijsen, Benjamin, de Jong (Demel), Kompany, Castelen, van der Vaart (Zidan), Trochowski, Olic (Choupo-Moting)</p> Rennes: Pouplin, Fanni (Badiane), Borne, Hansson, Edman (Thomert), Cheyrou, Leroy, Sorlin, Marveaux, Briand, Wiltord (Emerson)</p> </div></p>
