Fierce City Rivals Rivals Hamburg and St Pauli have taken up hostilities in the Bundesliga on Friday 14 years since their last high -flying confrontation.
Six times German Champions Hamburg, known as HSV in Germany, were relegated in 2018 and suffered a seven -year passage in the second division before winning the promotion at the end of last season.
Hamburg’s work in the second flight to the Bundesliga was aggravated in front of looking at the rivals of the city of Pauli, a winning promotion a year earlier.
In terms of sporting success, Pauli has always been overshadowed by Hamburg, one of the three German clubs to win the European Cup.
But while success is not only measured in the sporting achievements of the cult club of the famous district of Reecperbahn of Hamburg, Pauli showed that they belonged to the elite last season.
Despite the loss of coach Fabian Huerzeler at the Brighton Premier League club after being promoted, Pauli was standing at the back of the second best defensive record in the division.
A 3-3-3-3-time wild draw against Borussia Dortmund in their first season game showed that Pauli had the quality and mind to match it again with the big canons of the Bundesliga.
Pauli defender Eric Smith, who scored the equalizer on Sunday, said on Wednesday on the Bundesliga website that the derby was “the absolute game” of the season.
“For everyone, the whole city, we know that it is the biggest game you can have,” The Swedish added.
As a team with a more recent Bundesliga experience, Smith said that Pauli’s key was to “find a balance between all the energy and stay calm and do the right pressure on pressure”.
The teams met in the elite 16 times, with Hamburg by winning eight and Pauli twice.
Hamburg returned to the elite with a goalless draw at Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday and was undoubtedly the best team for a large part of the match.
After this match, Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, told Dazn: “All those who played in the derby know that all hell is unleashed.”
HSV coach Merlin Polzin, a long -standing fan of a well -followed club that regularly attracts crowds over 55,000, said the derby showed that the port city was “the German football capital”.
The 34 -year -old said that the derby “divides the city of football”, but it was clear that the derby speech should not obscure its main objective – keep Hamburg in the elite.
“We do not want to define the HSV on the basis of the Derby victories this season. We want to establish the HSV in the Bundesliga”, “ Said Polzin.
“But derby’s victories are part of it and we will give ourselves everything.”
Courties by clubs in the Premier League and Saudi Arabia, the Belgian international Johan Bakayoko joined RB Leipzig in summer, with a call from the boss of Red Bull Football Jurgen Klopp the key factor.
A quick winger with clarification with impressive dribbling skills, Bakayoko will be essential while Leipzig is looking to put his season on the right track at home against Heidenheim after a boost 6-0 by Bayern Munich in the opening.
Apart from Klopp on the charm, the 22 -year -old told AFP and other media in August that he was “linked to each club in the world”, but opted for Leipzig because “the project for me was perfect”.
“I was quiet enough in my decision. You have to stay calm and see what is best for you.”
By putting Bayern’s result in the rear view mirror, Bakayoko said that the ambitious club had “quality and hunger to do things”, adding “we have the base and that we just have to see how we will react against the reverse”.
Key statistics
4 – Wednesday, Dortmund signed the 20 -year -old Argentinian defender Aaron Anselmino, loaned by Chelsea, carrying his total of the first league arrivals to four this summer. Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland, Yan Couto by Manchester City and Carney Chukwuemeka de Chelsea also joined the club.
8 – The hat -trick of Harry Kane in the 6-0 beat of Bayern Munich of RB Leipzig Friday was his eighth in the League since his participation in 2023.
23 – Hamburg beat St Pauli for the last time in a high flight match in 2002, 23 years ago.
Assaleurs (14:30 This unless otherwise indicated)
Friday
Hamburg against St Pauli (19:30)
SATURDAY
HOFFENHEIM V EINTRACHT Frankfurt, RB Leipzig V Heidenheim,, Werder Bremen against Bayer Leverkusen,, Stuttgart against Borussia Monchengladbach,, Augsburg C Bayern Munich (18:30)
Sunday
Wolfsburg against Mainz,, Borussia Dortmund against Union Berlin (5.30 p.m.), Koln against Freiburg (18:30)
