Johan Djourou has claimed that poor finishing was the reason behind Hamburger SV's 1-0 loss to Hertha Berlin on Friday evening.

Despite dominating possession for long spells, the hosts were left disappointed at the Imtech Arena as Sebastian Langkamp snatched the points for Hertha with a late header to encourage Djourou to reveal his frustration with the lack of a clinical edge.

"It's difficult to accept," the Swiss defender told reporters. "We've got to be a little critical. We're at home and had lots of chances and weren't able to put any of them away. It just wasn't enough. We started well but that means nothing in a match like this. We had to score.

"We're in a difficult situation and now we've simply got to do more. We need to pick up points especially against a direct rival in the relegation battle. We've got to stay positive, though."

Hamburg return to action with a trip to Bayer Leverkusen after the international break.