Hamburg bounced back from their embarrassing loss at Hoffenheim to beat Stuttgart on Wednesday evening.
Piotr Trochowski converted from the penalty spot in the 17th minute and Joris Mathijsen added the second after 74 minutes as the hosts made amends for their heavy 3-0 defeat last weekend.
Martin Jol's Hamburg improved to 20 points for third place - two points behind Bayer Leverkusen and three adrift of leaders Hoffenheim.
Stuttgart had won two of their last three games but a dismal record of one point in their last four away matches has left them ninth in the Bundesliga.
Hamburg had the ball in the back of the net after just two minutes on Wednesday but it was disallowed as Mladen Petric was deemed to be off-side for Trochowski's pass.
And the visitors nearly scored a minute later with Mario Gomez sending a ball into the box to Roberto Hilbert, who somehow shot wide from five yards out.
Hamburg then grabbed the lead from the spot. Stuttgart's Thomas Hitzlsperger felled David Jarolim in the area and Trochowski stepped up to drill the penalty into the middle of the net with keeper Jens Lehmann diving to his left.
The hosts continued to control the match and almost doubled their advantage seconds before the interval. Guy Demel raced through Gomez and Arthur Boka before unleashing a powerful drive which Lehmann tipped onto the crossbar.
Stuttgart gave everything they had early in the second half but could not find a way through the Hamburg backline, and Jose Paolo Guerrero had another chance for the hosts after 66 minutes, sending his effort from the edge of the area just wide of the right post.
Hamburg eventually got their second goal after 74 minutes. Stuttgart's defense made a poor attempt at clearing a high ball allowing Mathijsen to fire in a volley which Gomez deflected past a helpless Lehmann.
