Meier double topples Hamburg

Eintracht Frankfurt bounced back from defeat to Mainz with Alexander Meier finding his scoring boots again in a 2-1 win over Hamburg.Meier put Thomas Schaaf's ahead through a 12th-minute penalty and, although Zoltan Stieber levelled on the stroke of half-time, Meier's 16th of the season - one less than Bundesliga top scorer Arjen Robben - in the 54th minute earned the Eagles all three points.Hamburg, who could slip back inside the bottom three on Sunday, also lost Matthias Ostrzolek to a red card, while Meier sent a second penalty against the crossbar at the death but it did not prove costly as Frankfurt edged to within four points of the top six.Meier, who had found the back of the net only once since the winter break, having led the scoring charts with 13 at the midway stage of the season, was gifted the chance to score his 15th goal of the campaign in the 12th minute after Johan Djourou was adjudged to have fouled Lucas Piazon inside the area.Meier made no mistake from the spot, sending Jaroslav Drobny the wrong way.Piazon nearly added a second with a 25-yard free-kick which landed on the roof of the net in the 28th minute before Hamburg stunned the Waldstadion on the stroke of half-time with Stieber, who scored their equaliser against Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, placing his shot inside Kevin Trapp's near post.Frankfurt had to start all over again in the second half, and it took them less than 10 minutes to take the lead again.Meier picked up on a loose ball 20 yards from goal and side-footed it precisely into the bottom-right corner.Hamburg's hopes of recovering were dealt a blow when Ostrzolek picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Stefan Aigner, who did not take kindly to being substituted soon after.Maximilian Beister almost brought Hamburg level, though, before another foul by Djourou inside the area, this time on Marc Stendera, gave Meier the chance to draw level with Robben at the top of the scoring charts.The Frankfurt midfielder was a little too casual about it, though, and sent his spot-kick against the crossbar.