On-loan Kyriakos Papadopoulos can help Hamburg avoid an historic relegation from Germany's top flight, according to coach Markus Gisdol, following the defender's winning goal against his own club Bayer Leverkusen.

Papadopoulos, nicknamed 'Papa' for short, is on loan at Hamburg until June from Leverkusen, where he has a contract until 2020.

The centre-back spent the first half of the season on loan at RB Leipzig, where he played just 27 minutes of Bundesliga football, but has played in all of Hamburg's three games so far in 2017 since joining last month.

He sank Bayer with a 76th-minute header in Hamburg's 1-0 home win against Leverkusen on Friday.

It was their third win in six league games and Hamburg only remain in the bottom three on goal difference.

They are the only current club in Germany's top flight to have never been relegated and Gisdol says 'Papa' has the fighting-spirit they need.

"I knew what I was getting with 'Papa'. He has the right mentality and a fighter's heart," said Hamburg boss Gisdol.

Papadopoulos, 24, was unabashed despite netting against his own club.

"I always give 100 percent, regardless of whom I'm playing against," he said.

"My goal wasn't hard to explain," he added bluntly.

"We don't have to celebrate now, just keep working and we have only taken one step."

The defeat was bad new for Leverkusen, who host Atletico Madrid in the last 16, first-leg, of the Champions League on February 21.

Leverkusen have lost their last two league games after throwing away a two-goal lead against Borussia Moenchengladbach last Sunday.

To compound their problems, winger Hakan Calhanoglu started a four-month ban from FIFA on Thursday for breach of contract and star striker Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez missed the Hamburg defeat with a groin injury.