Bundesliga 2 - City derby: FC St. Pauli favorite against rivals HSV
On Saturday, soccer fans across Europe will be watching the draw for the European Championship in Germany at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. But the fans in the Hanseatic city are primarily interested in an event the day before. The 110th Hamburg city derby between FC St. Pauli and HSV in the 2nd Bundesliga is electrifying almost the entire city and region.
The match on Friday (18:30/Sky) is already explosive enough due to the decades-long rivalry between the two clubs and their fans. This time it is also an absolute top match in the 2nd division. For the first time, the clash between the two clubs is a duel between first and second. League leaders FC St. Pauli are the favorites in their Millerntor Stadium against their big rivals from the neighborhood in Volkspark. HSV, in second place, are the closest rivals.
"One against two - that's as good as it gets," said St. Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler. The 30-year-old has been causing a sensation with his team, and not just since the start of this season. The team not only inspires its own supporters with its style of play, is still unbeaten and has three points more than HSV ahead of the 15th matchday.
However, Hürzeler does not see his team as the favorites. "There is no favorite in this game," he said. "HSV will also see it similarly, that it's a 50:50 game, that it's about pulling the momentum to your side." He believes that there is a great deal of respect for each other. "Our task on Friday will clearly be to reclaim the city championship," he added.
His HSV colleague Tim Walter called the game the "premier league of derbies". He is "not worried" about whether there is a favorite or not, said the 48-year-old. "It's just important to show emotion and will - and still keep a cool head."
The Millerntor Stadium is sold out with more than 29,000 spectators, including 2,600 HSV supporters. Due to the great rivalry between the two fan camps, the match has been classified as a high-risk game by the police. A large contingent of security forces will be deployed to prevent clashes.
"The police are not spoilsports and will act professionally and with a sense of proportion," said police chief Falk Schnabel. "I appeal to everyone who is looking forward to a peaceful derby to immediately exclude violent offenders and not give them a place to retreat."
Alcohol is banned in the stadium. In addition, a safety net has been hung in front of the visitors' stand and the fence to the adjacent home area has been raised. The match will also take place against the backdrop of a major debate about violence in stadiums and the conflicts between police and fans.
Table Squad FC St. Pauli Match schedule FC St. Pauli Coach team HSV Squad HSV Match schedule HSV
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Source: www.stern.de
