Hamburger SV welcomes relegated Hertha BSC to the next cracker of the 2nd Bundesliga in the Volkspark on Saturday. Coach Tim Walter’s team is still looking for balance in their game.
The number 19 describes quite well why the North Germans could change their club name to Hamburger Spektakel-Verein after three competitive games this season. 19 goals have been scored in previous games involving HSV – eleven for and eight against the Rothosen. Expressed in final results: 5:3, 2:2, 4:3.
HSV got off to a good start: Four points from two league games against the ambitious and strong rivals Schalke 04 and Karlsruher SC. In addition, the cup is in the 2nd round, even if progression at third division Rot-Weiss Essen was bumpy.
Before the next cracker against the Bundesliga relegated from the capital (8.30 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter), the HSV managers put their fingers in the wound that HSV has been gaping for a long time: the many goals conceded.
“Too many oversights, far too many simple mistakes.”
— HSV sports director Jonas Boldt
After the 4: 3 in the cup against RWE, sports director Jonas Boldt was unusually angry that HSV only had the fourth lead to win. “If you lead three times, it’s inexplicable that we keep letting them come back,” he raged after the game, complaining “far too many negligence, far too many simple mistakes. We’re playing against a third division team here and not at Freibadstrasse “.
HSV quickly concede goals after their own goals
Or to put it another way: Boldt criticizes that the team lacks seriousness in defensive behavior despite all the noticeable desire and offensive power. In fact, it is striking that HSV have already conceded four goals in three games within the first five minutes of their own goals – two against S04, two against Essen. A mixture of collective negligence, fatal bad passes and lax defensive behavior (example: Levin Öztunali and Guilhermo Ramos against S04) led to half of all goals conceded so far.
“We don’t even talk anymore about the high risk of our game structure,” said coach Tim Walter on Thursday. “It’s partly a lack of concentration, sometimes minor mistakes. For me it’s important that the boys recognize that and that we work on it at full speed.”
Hertha so far without a counter
The topic is of course not new at HSV, nor is Walter defending his risky and spectacular game system. This week’s training was “about tight game forms, many duels and pushing through the chains”. The 47-year-old also emphasized again: “We have a newly formed defense and are now working flat out to get better.”
Against Hertha would be a good time to start, even if the Berliners have been the anti-spectacle of the 2nd division with two 0-1 defeats so far. The people of Hamburg shouldn’t let themselves be dazzled by these numbers. In the DFB Cup, the “old lady” picked up speed for the first time and defeated regional league club Carl Zeiss Jena 5-0. In addition, coach Pal Dardai’s team is individually strong.
Reis before comeback, Pherai questionable
This is also HSV, who still has to do without captain Sebastian Schonlau (calf), while defensive stabilizer Jonas Meffert (muscular problems) returned to team training during the week. In attack, Ludovit Reis could celebrate his comeback from the start after a shoulder injury if Immanuel Pherai doesn’t get his adductor problems under control. Regardless of the line-up, the team from the Hamburger Spektakel-Verein should again offer the best entertainment.
Possible lineups:
Haburger SV: Heuer Fernandes – van der Brempt, Ramos, Hadzikadunic, Muheim – Meffert – Reis, Benes – Jatta, Glatzel, Dompé
Hertha BSC: Ernst – Kenny, Leistner, Marton Dardai, Dudziak – Klemens – Serdar – Richter – Palko Dardai, Reese – Tabakovic
This topic in the program:
NDR 2 Sports | 08/19/2023 | 11:03 p.m
