Coach Tim Walter from Hamburger SV found a humorous solution against early goals in his team’s game. “Saturday morning we go to the pool, throw them all in the water, then they’ll be awake,” joked the coach. His team will play the last game of the year in the 2nd Bundesliga against SV Sandhausen on Saturday (1 p.m. / Sky) in the Volksparkstadion.
The swimming pool variant is of course just a fun mind game, but it has a serious background. In six games this season, HSV fell behind in the first few minutes. He was able to turn the game three times and lost three times. Worrying: In the past four games, Hamburg have always conceded an early goal.
“We’ve shown that we can always catch up. That’s our great strength,” said Walter on Thursday, but wants to see “attitude and respect” from his pros for the task and the opponent. He missed that in the 0-1 draw against Greuther Fürth on Wednesday evening. “If we act like yesterday, pomadig and so, reacting rather than acting, then it’s harder to process than other defeats.”
At the end of the first half of the season, HSV wants to win in front of their home crowd. “It’s nice when we go into such a long break with three points.” Despite all the setbacks, Walter sees his team “further than last season” and cites the ten wins of the season so far as proof, which none of the competitors can boast of. However, there have already been five defeats, a high number for a promotion aspirant at this point in the season.
David Kinsombi returns to the Volkspark with Sandhausen. The 29-year-old midfielder spent three seasons with HSV up until the summer of this year, but did not become a regular. He has already scored six goals this season in Sandhausen, making him the best scorer in his team. Walter: “I’m happy for him because he’s just a good boy.”
The last game before the World Cup is also coming up for FC St. Pauli. Coach Timo Schultz announces an analysis for the end of the weak first half of the Bundesliga season. “I would like more points. As a coach, you naturally ask yourself what you could have done differently. The entire sporting area will sit down after Karlsruhe and analyze it.” On Saturday (1 p.m. / Sky) his team will play at Karlsruher SC.
With 16 points, St. Pauli is in 15th place in the 2nd division. The SV Sandhausen on the relegation place and the 1. FC Nürnberg on a direct relegation place are tied with the Hamburgers. St. Pauli have only won one of their last twelve games, and that was on October 14 against Hamburger SV (3-0). Since then, the team has gone four games without a win. Last Tuesday evening, the home game against Holstein Kiel was only 0-0.
Nothing has changed in the personnel situation since then. “Almost the same squad is available as against Kiel,” said Schultz. Center forward Etienne Amenyido is back in training. Midfielders Niklas Jessen and Frank Roggow are also considered candidates for the matchday squad.
KSC has lost the last five games, has just one point more than Hamburg and is 13th in the table. Schultz said: “Karlsruhe is looking for stability and self-confidence. They are currently on a winless streak. I think they are well positioned offensively.”
