HSV vs. Hertha BSC: Felix Magath with psychological tricks against relegation

There is not much left that could encourage Hertha BSC to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga for the seventh time. Not much went together in the 0-1 relegation first leg against second division Hamburger SV. After that, the players were shocked and dismayed, the atmosphere was generally down and even the coach seemed indifferent. But there was still one thing left for coach Felix Magath to give his battered team a strong voice: mind games! And so he surprised the day before the second leg at HSV this Monday (8.30 p.m. / Sky, Sat.1 and im stern live ticker) with the statement:

In view of Hertha’s recent weak performances, this seems more like whistling in the forest. But Magath – a former player, coach and manager at the club – knows “his” HSV and has certainly followed how the Hamburg side have always lost their long-awaited return to the Bundesliga at the last minute in recent seasons. “The situation is now the opposite of what it was on Thursday. Now HSV are the ones who have something to lose,” Magath tried to correct. “We can only win,” the 68-year-old quickly converted the first-leg defeat into an advantage.

HSV: Will make fans and city happy

HSV coach Tim Walter tried to take the wind out of the sails of Magath’s psycho attack. , he replied to the Berlin coach. Above all, Walter knows that his team – unlike in previous years – went into the promotion and relegation duel with the capital club with a winning streak and, thanks to the 1-0 win in the Berlin Olympic Stadium, also has a powerful tailwind: “We will do everything we can , to make all the fans and the city happy.” The Volksparkstadion is sold out; As in Berlin, the support of the fans should be enormous.

So while HSV coach Walter talks a lot about happiness, (anticipation) joy, enthusiasm and euphoria, the “old lady” is mainly talking about anger. “I’m convinced that the boys will go into this game with a certain amount of anger,” said Hertha’s sporting director Fredi Bobic. His pros could win passion if “they’re a little mad at themselves,” Bobic said. “I felt that something was developing in our squad,” Magath summarized his impressions of the past few days. During the season, the team always showed a reaction to setbacks. “I am convinced that we will also be able to put up with this setback.”

Felix Magath: Kevin-Prince Boateng as Joker

Euphoria against anger – that’s supposed to be the duel in the evening in Hamburg’s Volkspark. It remains to be seen which mood prevails. It is clear, however, that Magath’s statement that Hertha BSC has nothing to lose is not correct. With relegation, the monstrous goal of becoming a “Big City Club” in the style of other European capital clubs would have finally failed with a bang. Many millions that entrepreneur Lars Windhorst has already put into Hertha have already fizzled out anyway. Even in Berlin they are no longer number 1 after local rivals Union will play in the European Cup for the second time in a row. And Bobic couldn’t turn things around either. In any case, he left the winning gene in his last stop in Frankfurt; As is well known, Eintracht won the Europa League last week.

What Hertha still has to do to avoid the crash are Magath’s psychological tricks and a joker for the decisive game. Apparently, the coach is hoping for the experience and leadership of old master Kevin-Prince Boateng, 35. Magath: “Prince is a final player.” Hertha doesn’t have much left to encourage her.

Sources: “Kicker”; DPA news agency