Before today’s first leg (8.30 p.m., PULS 24, Sat.1, Sky) of the relegation between the third in the second division and the third from bottom in the Bundesliga in Berlin, the Hanseatic League was confident. “We have the momentum on our side,” said HSV coach Tim Walter.
The favorite Berliners build on the experience of the HSV icon Felix Magath. Unlike Hertha, who missed several chances of early rescue, the former Bundesliga Dino made it into the promotion zone for the first time after three fourth places in the second division thanks to a race to catch up. “We’ve won the last five games and made up seven points,” said Walter. “We may have Hertha ahead of that.”
HSV is also encouraged by the fact that they are accompanied by a large crowd of fans into the 75,000-seat Olympic Stadium. According to media reports, around 35,000 Hamburg fans are expected in the capital. The second leg will take place in Hamburg next Monday.
It will also be a mammoth task for Magath emotionally. The 68-year-old was one of the protagonists of the golden HSV era from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s.
Source: Nachrichten
