“I’ve experienced a full house three times – but as the opponent’s coach,” said Walter ahead of tonight’s DFB Cup semifinals (8.45 p.m., live on Erste and NDR Livecenter). “Now I’m happy that I can experience it as an HSV coach.” For the first time since the city derby against FC St. Pauli on February 22, 2020 (0:2), the Volksparkstadion will be sold out again. The fans could be an important factor for Hamburg in the duel with the Bundesliga fifth.
“We have 57,000 who support us unconditionally. That pushes the boys incredibly.”
— HSV coach Tim Walter
In any case, Walter sees the roles clearly distributed. “Freiburg is on the way to the Champions League and we’re fighting to get promoted to the Bundesliga and want to reinvent ourselves,” said the 46-year-old, who doesn’t believe in cowardly football. “One is the paper form and the other is the truth on the pitch,” said Walter. “We want to be courageous and are convinced of ourselves.”
With the tailwind of the most recent 3-0 success in the league against Karlsruhe, Hamburg want to make the first cup final since 1987 perfect. At that time, Manfred Kaltz and Co. in Berlin won the pot against the Stuttgarter Kickers – the last major title for HSV. This time, on May 21, RB Leipzig or Union Berlin would be waiting for the traditional club from the Elbe in the capital.
Walter wants to “at least have a hand on the pot”
Walter doesn’t want to think that far yet. “Now it’s all about winning this game to have at least one hand in the pot.” The ticket for Berlin would be an unexpected culmination of a second division season that has been disappointing again so far, in which the second division six HSV is five points behind the relegation rank and six behind the first direct promotion place with four games to go.
Glatzel and Heuer Fernandes the HSV trump cards
In terms of personnel, Walter can draw on almost unlimited resources. In addition to the long-term injured Tim Leibold, only Maximilian Rohr is missing due to a torn muscle fiber. The midfielder Ludovit Reis, who was recently suspended against KSC, is again an option for the starting XI.
“Anyone who is in the semi-finals also wants to get to the final. We will enjoy the game and give it our all.”
— HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes
The biggest HSV trumps in the duel with the Freiburgers are likely to be attacker Robert Glatzel (18 league goals and four in the cup) and keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, who was accurate in the last match. Mainly thanks to him, the Hanseatic League won the cup at 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Köln and also against Karlsruher SC on penalties. It goes without saying that the 29-year-old cup hero is not at all afraid of a new penalty shoot-out. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be a fourth duel from the point. “I want the team to be the hero,” said Heuer Fernandes.
Possible lineups:
HSV: Heuer Fernandes – Heyer, Vuskovic, Schonlau, Vagnoman – Meffert – Reis, Suhonen – Jatta, Glatzel, Kittel
Freiburg: Flekken – Kübler, Lienhart, N. Schlotterbeck, Günther – Eggestein, Höfler – Sallai, Jeong, Grifo – Demirovic