Second division stronghold: FC St. Pauli and HSV set themselves apart
The promotion battle in the 2nd Bundesliga is increasingly becoming a Hamburg city championship. Because their rivals have stumbled, FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV are back at the top of the table - and everything is leading up to a first-round showdown between the Millerntor leaders and their rivals from Volkspark on December 1.
"Everyone has been looking forward to the derby since it was scheduled - that's just the way it is," said HSV midfielder Jonas Meffert on Sport1 on Saturday evening after the 2-0 win against 1. FC Magdeburg. At the moment you can predict "that it's a bit of a toss-up, as we're both at the top at the moment. I hope it stays that way until the derby."
However, there are still just over three weeks and two match days between now and the duel of the duels. That's why Meffert's team-mates also warned. "Now we're playing away in Kiel. That's the important thing now," said defender Stephan Ambrosius. Goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes said on Sport1: "The road is long and we need a lot of points. That's why next week is important, and we want to steal points there."
In any case, the second division stronghold is currently in Hamburg. FC St. Pauli and HSV had already finished first and second on the eighth, ninth and tenth matchdays. Now Fortuna Düsseldorf, Holstein Kiel and 1. FC Kaiserslautern did the Hanseatic team a favor and dropped points on the twelfth matchday. FC St. Pauli (26 points) and HSV (24) were able to pull away for the first time thanks to their 2-0 win at SV Elversberg on Friday evening.
There is little to suggest that this particular constellation will change any time soon. Both Hamburg teams have been consistent this season. FC St. Pauli are still unbeaten this season, while HSV are a force at home and picked up their sixth win in six matches against Magdeburg at their Volkspark home.
Both teams are particularly strong in defense: The Kiezclub has conceded the fewest goals with nine, and for HSV the 2-0 win against Magdeburg was their sixth game without conceding a goal. And that despite changes to the defense due to injury, as was the case on Saturday evening. "We have good width in the squad and you can rely on everyone," said HSV coach Tim Walter.
The maturity and balance of both teams also speaks for itself at the moment. After a week of footballing hard work with three games in seven days, including 120-minute powerhouses in the DFB Cup against Schalke 04 (FC St. Pauli) and at Arminia Bielefeld (HSV), the teams of St. Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler and his HSV colleague Walter were surprisingly confident and stable in their victories in Elversberg and against Magdeburg.
FC St. Pauli can also compensate for the absence of important players such as defensive boss Eric Smith on Friday evening or captain Jackson Irvine, who is suspended next Friday (18:30/Sky) against Hannover 96, almost without any problems. And so the greatest praise on Friday evening came from Elversberg coach Horst Steffen: "There are other opponents against whom we can win more."
Given the team's current form, it's hard for even the most imaginative soccer fan to imagine that FC St. Pauli could experience a slump this season. Just like in the 2021/22 season, when Hamburg were top of the table after the first half of the season and slipped in the second half. "We're challenging each other, which is why things are going very well at the moment," explained St. Pauli midfielder Marcel Hartel. That should remain the case beyond the city duel on December 1.
In the 2nd Bundesliga, Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli are dominating, with HSV securing a 2-0 victory against 1st FC Magdeburg, keeping their streak of home wins. This success has brought them closer to their city rivals, setting the stage for an exciting derby on December 1.
Furthermore, Hamburger SV's rivals in Bundesliga 2, like 1. FC Magdeburg, have struggled lately, allowing FC St. Pauli and HSV to take the lead in the table, transforming Hamburg into a second division stronghold.
Source: www.dpa.com
