The footballers of HSV and SV Werder Bremen will meet on Sunday in the DFB Cup semi-final before the record backdrop of 57,000 spectators. The anticipation of the game in the Volkspark in Hamburg is huge.
In men’s football, the Nord derby is a classic, most recently both clubs met in the second division in spring 2022. For women, there is now a premiere in a competitive game on Sunday (3:30 p.m., in the NDR LiveCenter). And it mobilizes the masses. Already 16 days before the meeting kicked off, all tickets were out of print.
“I could never have imagined playing in front of such a backdrop. This is really blatant,” HSV player Carla Wilson told NDR. “If someone had told me a year ago that I would be with something like that, I would have looked at him stupidly”. Her teammate Lisa Baum is also enthusiastic – and already has a bit of stage fright: “I think the legs will tremble a little while getting in the stadium.”
Werder player Mühlhaus comes home
For opponent Larissa Mühlhaus, who moved from HSV to Bremen in the summer of 2024 as a top scorer of the second division, it will be an emotional return. “It will be an incredible game. I come back home, I am very happy to see everyone again,” said the Hamburg native: “It means a lot to me, it has always been my dream in the Volkspark. As a small child, I went there with my family.” She even celebrated one of her children’s birthdays in the Volksparkstadion.
HSV wants to “annoy the bigger opponent”
As a seasoned Bundesliga club, the favorite is a problem for Mühlhaus as a seasoned Bundesliga club. “We just look at ourselves,” said the Bremen attacker. “Many of our team also played in front of several people and the necessary experience”.
“We always play well when we can give the role of favorites.”
– Pauline makes
But Bangemachen does not apply to the second division thirds from Hamburg. “We enjoy annoying the supposedly bigger opponent, and we will do that again on Sunday,” said HSV leaders Pauline. She feels comfortable in the role of the underdog: “We have nothing to lose and can only win,” said the 22-year-old.
Biggest backdrop in German Women’s clubßball
For many kickers on both sides, the encounter on Sunday is the highlight of her previous career – midfielder Baum speaks of the “game of the games”. The team of HSV coach Marwin Bolz had a (small) foretaste two months ago in the quarter-finals when it defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 in his popular park premiere in front of almost 17,000 spectators.
However, 57,000 spectators clearly put this in the shade – it is the biggest backdrop of a German women’s play at club level ever. More fan addition had an international match: in 2011, 73,680 visitors watched the World Cup game against Canada in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. HSV player Svea Stolt sees an advantage for their team in the big fan addition: “Everyone wants the best for us and that we win. They push. I am just looking forward to it incredibly.”
HSV wish scenario: Early lead, late 2-1
So far, both clubs have only met in the season preparation – in Ostereistedt (2024), Elsdorf (2023) and Buxtehude (2022) there were a total of fewer than 500 spectators on site. The Bremen women won all three matches (3: 1, 2: 1, 5: 0).
The HSV women want to break through this negative series and have set up a match plan: “Of course, my dream idea would be to take the lead right at the beginning and hunt Bremen a real horror,” reveals Melina Bünning to the NDR. Your shared apartment with the thread continues: “Then the equalizer falls at some point, but we shoot the 2: 1 in the 80th minute. After that, it just means defending and long balls have to be knocked out.”
For Hamburgers is that Cup competition A “bonus”
The Hamburg’s cup season so far was like in intoxication. They scored 17: 2 goals in their four games, the two goals conceded only in the round of 16 at the duel with Bundesliga club Carl Zeiss Jena (4: 2). The 17 goals were also divided into eleven goal scorers – with this variability, the entry into the final is to succeed on May 1st in Cologne.
It would be the first participation in the final since 2002. At that time – the HSV women had just relegated from the Bundesliga – there was a clear defeat with the 0: 5 against 1. FFC Frankfurt. But no matter how the game ends on Sunday, the cup competition is a “bonus” for the Hamburg women. The focus is on the league with the declared target Bundesliga promotion. “I wish you that you will finally be able to rise,” said Mühlhaus.
Werder wants to Semi-final premiere to the final
In the first division there were more derbies, Werder has nothing to do with the relegation fight. In women’s football, however, the rivalry that prevails among men is not that strong. “This is more familiar,” said the ex-HSV player. Regardless of this, the Bremen women want to fulfill a dream with a progress in their first cup semi-final and write club history.
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Hamburg Journal | 22.03.2025 | 7:30 p.m.
