Some pretty exciting games wait for us in the seventh round of the German Bundesliga this weekend, and we all should prepare ourselves for the North derby between Hamburger SV and SV Werder Bremen at Volksparkstadion, set for Saturday, September 30th, 2017.
There are just a few rivalries in Germany as big as this one between The Red Shorts and The Green-Whites. The first encounter took place in 1927 when Hamburger SV smashed Werder Bremen at his home, 4:1. It is going to be their 107th Bundesliga clash (counting from 1963), SV Werder Bremen is having a slight lead with 38 victories, Hamburger SV won 34 games, while 34 encounters were finished in a draw. In the last couple of seasons, both teams are struggling, failing to satisfy fans desires and to justify the great heritage.
In this preview we’ll take a closer look at teams’ form and latest news, so we can give you the best possible tips and predictions as we always do here on GetMoreSports.
HAMBURGER SV vs. SV WERDER BREMEN
3-Way: 1: Hamburger SV +179; X: +250 Draw; 2: SV Werder Bremen +179
Spread 0: Schalke 04 -101; SV Werder Bremen -101
Total +2.5: Over -106; Under +100
HAMBURGER SV
After two wins in a row at the start of the German Bundesliga some of the Dinosaur’s fans probably thought this year will be different. However, the last four games have revealed some old problems as Hamburger SV has lost all four encounters failing to find the net at least once. Now their fans are dreading like they did in the last few Bundesliga campaigns when their beloved club was fighting against relegation till the final round. It is going to be the same story this season, according to the current situation, although there’s a lot of time to turn things around.
The Red Shorts are laying at the 15th place of the German Bundesliga table with six points, and a 4:11 goal difference. They’ve managed to create only 45 goal scoring opportunities, as just three teams are worse – SV Werder Bremen, SC Freiburg, and Hertha BSC. Their average passing accuracy of 66% is the worst in the league, and Hamburger SV is the only team below 70% in this category, while only SC Freiburg ‘s had less ball in the feet. All these statistic information indicates there are huge problems in Hamburger’s creativity and attacking play.
Markus Gisdol’s boys are struggling in the final third, as no one scored two times so far. The forward Andre Hahn, who arrived from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer, managed to get one goal, but it is way off what fans are expecting from him. The key midfielder Lewis Holtby is in a horrible form, while Gideon Jung, Albin Ekdal, and Walace are all looking pretty limited offensively. The winger Filip Kostic has missed last three games due to a muscle fiber, and everyone’s waiting for his comeback, hoping it will be a huge boost to the team’s play.
Defensively, The Red Shorts are playing awfully, winning just 42% of tackles. They are not making crucial errors which lead to goals, but they are living too much space to their opponents. The center-back Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who came from Bayer Leverkusen this summer to fortify the defensive line, isn’t playing like he used to in the last couple of years, and it seems like he’s drowning along with his new colleagues at the back. In the previous encounter Hamburger SV was easily beaten at BayArena, and the Greek star could not cope with Kevin Volland and Lucas Alario.
The manager Markus Gisdol will have to shake his players as they are facing one of the biggest clashes of the season. The fans will search for at least a point from the North derby. Wingers Nicolai Muller and Filip Kostic are out for this match, while the striker Sven Schipplock is still doubtful with a back injury.
SV WERDER BREMEN
With six rounds behind us, SV Werder Bremen is still winless with three draws and three defeats, enough for the 17th spot of the Bundesliga table. Their poor 3:7 goal difference indicates some attacking issues while at the defensive end they are still playing decently. In the previous fixture of the German Bundesliga, The Green-Whites failed to score in the front of the home fans, playing a nil-nil draw with another struggling side, SC Freiburg. At least, they recorded a clean sheet for the first time in the season.
In the 11th minute of the game with SC Freiburg, the Algerian striker Ishak Belfodil had a great chance to break the deadlock, but he didn’t concentrate in the finish, taking a shot almost from a dead corner. On the other side, SC Freiburg had some tremendous scoring opportunities before the halftime, as SV Werder Bremen’s keeper Jiri Pavlenka was brilliant with three fantastic saves.
In the second half, both teams had their chances to take the lead, failing to find the net. Ishak Belfodil had another opportunity, misplacing his shot from just a couple of meters from goal. In the final minute of the game, Gebre Selassie had a great chance to bring the first victory of the season to SV Werder Bremen, but his shot was well-stopped by Alexander Schwolow.
Now Werder Bremen has to search the first win in the North derby, and it is going to put even more pressure on their shoulders. They are struggling offensively, creating just 44 scoring chances in the first six rounds of the German Bundesliga. Fin Bartels is looking like the agilest player, with 11 key passes so far. Ishak Belfodil had a nightmare game against SC Freiburg, and we’ll see if he’s going to be in the starting eleven on Saturday’s evening.
Max Cruse could be helpful for the match against Hamburger SV, but he’s still doubtful due to a collarbone fracture, while the defender Lamine Sane is having knee problems.
HAMBURGER SV vs. SV WERDER BREMEN – Match Prediction
The North derby is always a special match, and the last time it was finished in a goalless draw was in 1999/00 Bundesliga season. Both teams are having a disaster start, so this clash could be the perfect way for redemption. Therefore, I’m expecting a great battle, and if we get a quick goal, we could see a cannonade at Volksparkstadion. I suggest you go with goals in this one, as it looks like the safest bet.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-106)
