The Ukrainian football champions will today welcome the Spanish title holders FC Barcelona with the German national players İlkay Gündoğan and Marc-André ter Stegen for the Champions League group game in Hamburg. The Catalans’ last appearance at the Volksparkstadion was over a decade ago and left a bad aftertaste on the Elbe.
True to the motto: “You don’t treat yourself to anything else”, Hamburger SV, which was already heavily in debt in 2012, didn’t miss out on its 125th club birthday and invited the famous FC Barcelona to the anniversary game in the Imtech Arena, like the football temple on Sylvesterallee was still called at the time. According to the contract, HSV would actually have had to transfer an impressive 1.25 million euros to the Spanish club. But then he didn’t. Because the then “Barca” superstar Lionel Messi canceled his participation at short notice due to alleged calf problems, the starting fee was reduced to 825,000 euros.
HSV’s anniversary game against Barcelona turns into a farce in 2012
This pleased the HSV treasurer, but disappointed the fans. And because the Catalans played that evening on July 24, 2012 without their Spanish national players, who had just become European champions, the over 55,000 spectators only saw a B-eleven from Barcelona.
However, this only lasts until halftime. Then coach Francesc “Tito” Vilanova i Bayó made nine changes, so that the B team became a C team. However, the diverse team was still too strong for the Hamburg team led by their current club president Marcell Jansen: Barcelona won 2-1.
Donetsk coach Pusic: “Every game is different”
Eleven years and almost four months later, the Spanish champions will play again at the Volksparkstadion. Today (6:45 p.m.) the host is not HSV, but Shakhtar Donetsk. Because of the war in his homeland, the Ukrainian title holders are playing their Champions League group games in the arena of the Hamburg second division team and are hoping to be able to trip up the Iberians, who have not lost any points so far.
“This is a wonderful team, one of the best in Europe. It’s a challenge to play against them,” said Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic, praising the upcoming opponents at the press conference on Monday evening. But then the 52-year-old was combative: “It’s a new game. And every game is different.”
Shakhtar narrowly loses in Barcelona
Pusic was referring to Donetsk’s away game in Barcelona on October 25th, which was narrowly lost 1-2. Georgiy Sudakov – the Ukrainians’ sought-after midfield talent – scored the next goal in the 62nd minute. It was the first goal conceded by national goalkeeper ter Stegen in this premier class season. Pusic was encouraged by the fact that his team had hope of winning a point until the final whistle in front of 41,409 spectators at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Especially since he had almost two weeks since this encounter to introduce his idea of football to his new team.
“I get to know my team better every day and see the possibilities of the different players. I have a clear plan in my head,” said the former Feyenoord Rotterdam assistant coach. He succeeded Patrick van Leeuwen at Schachtar the day before the Champions League game in Barcelona.
Donetsk faces early knockout if it goes bankrupt
Under Pusic’s predecessor, the Ukrainians lost their first “home game” in Hamburg against FC Porto 3-1 and then won 3-2 at Royal Antwerp. After the narrow defeat in Barcelona, Donetsk is under pressure in the fight for second place in Group H, which Porto currently occupies.
If the Portuguese were to lose again and win against Antwerp at the same time, their chances of reaching the round of 16 would drop to a minimum.
“Barca” with all the stars around Lewandowski in Hamburg
However, the Eastern Europeans may be able to benefit from the fact that Barcelona coach Xavi will start the rotation machine. “We play every three to four days. That’s why it’s important to change. Some players are tired, exhausted or under attack. That’s why we will definitely make changes,” announced the 43-year-old. The 2010 world champion did not reveal who he would give a break.
After all: Unlike in 2012 for the anniversary game against HSV, this time the Catalans arrived in Hamburg with all their stars including ex-Bundesliga striker Robert Lewandowski, ter Stegen, Gündoğan and Co. And because the Spanish champions would qualify early for the round of 16 with a win, the spectators in the not yet completely sold-out Volksparkstadion have the legitimate hope of seeing what they paid a lot of money for: Barcelona’s A team.
This topic in the program:
Hamburg Journal | November 6, 2023 | 19:30 o’clock
