Hamburg's visit from Leverkusen postponed over weather-related concerns

Tuesday's Bundesliga match between hosts Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen was called off just hours before kick-off due to weather-related safety concerns.

The match became the third casualty of winter weather sweeping across northern Germany this week, with last Saturday's St Pauli-RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen-Hoffenheim matches rescheduled for late January.

The German Football League (DFL) issued a statement on Tuesday saying the Hamburg-Leverkusen match "cannot take place as planned due to weather-related risks concerning the stadium roof", with Hamburg's Volksparkstadion "closed at short notice".

The match was originally scheduled for 1930 GMT on Tuesday. Leverkusen issued a statement confirming "a decision on rescheduling the game is to be made as soon as possible".

Northern Germany has faced severe disruption from heavy snow and high winds brought by Storm Elli, with schools ordered to close in Hamburg and Bremen and long-distance rail services cancelled.