Hrubesch, Yeboah, Lasogga
These big HSV victories still hurt Werder to this day
December 6, 2025 – 1:31 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
It is probably one of the oldest rivalries in Germany: HSV and Werder Bremen meet on Sunday for the 158th northern derby. t-online looks back on great victories in Hamburg.
The northern derby is back: eight years after the last first division duel HSV and Werder Bremen will meet again in the Bundesliga on December 7th. Hamburg want to build on their success against Stuttgart in front of 57,000 fans and strengthen their position in the north.
In the overall balance of the 157 competitive games, Werder is just ahead with 60 wins, HSV has 55 wins. When it comes to goals, however, Hamburg leads with 276 goals, Bremen scored 254. t-online remembers defining moments in HSV history in the northern duel.
Hamburg, August 5, 1959: In the semi-finals of the NFV Cup, which determined the participants for the DFB Cup, 15,000 spectators in the Rotherbaum Stadium experienced a historic game. HSV defeated Werder 9-1 – the clearest success in the derby to date. The goalscorers are not fully known, but Uwe Seeler is said to have scored three goals.
Hamburg, March 22, 1980: HSV led the Bundesliga on matchday 26, while Werder fought against relegation. 31,000 fans in the Volksparkstadion saw a clear demonstration of the balance of power: Horst Hrubesch scored three times in a 5-0 win. At the end of the season, HSV narrowly missed defending their title and Werder was relegated to the second division for the first time.
Hamburg, May 15, 1982: Two years after relegation, Bremen played in the Volkspark again for the first time. For HSV, important points in the title fight were at stake on matchday 32. Under coach Ernst Happel, Hamburg won again 5-0, again with three goals from Hrubesch. Two weeks later the club celebrated its fifth championship.
Hamburg, March 28, 1998: In the spring of 1998 the wind blew Hamburger SV an ice-cold wind towards you. Before the derby on matchday 28, Frank Pagelsdorf’s team was only one point separated from a direct relegation zone. In the Volkspark, almost 38,000 spectators watched Werder Bremen take the lead through Marco Bode after 25 minutes.
Jacek Dembinski only made it 1-1 late (78th). The dramatic highlight: In the 90th minute, Anthony Yeboah, who hadn’t scored for almost six months, made it 2-1.
Bremen, February 17, 2007: HSV traveled to Bremen as bottom of the table. There have only been two wins this season, one of which was recently against Dortmund. Under new coach Huub Stevens, HSV showed an impressive sign of life: Rafael van der Vaart scored both goals in a 2-0 win. The upward trend continued – at the end of the season, Hamburg sensationally reached the European Cup.