Pre-Match Report
21.04.17
Key trio back for Darmstadt clash
HSV take on rock bottom side Darmstadt 98 at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Saturday afternoon. Home coach Markus Gisdol is relieved to be able to welcome back key trio Bobby Wood, Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Johan Djourou to the team as the Rothosen hope to edge closer to safety by maintaining their fine unbeaten home run.
People know that when fighting relegation it is vital to win your home games. Collecting points in your own back yard with your fans behind you to a man is crucial in such a quest. HSV have become a force at home over recent months and sport a fine nine game unbeaten home record ahead of kick off against Darmstadt (22.04.17, 3.30 PM). That run of seven home wins and two draws id´s the best run the rothosen have enjoyed since the 2008/09 season. That kind of form has seen them rise from rock bottom in the Bundesliga table to having a two point cushion over the dreaded drop zone despite the bitter 1-2 defeat in Bremen last time out.
Wood, Papa and Djourou return
It is hoped that the Volkspark fortress will play a major role in events. In order for it to do so, full concentration and a high level of performance are required. Gisdol told the media at the official pre-match press conference in Hamburg yesterday: “The greatest danger is playing the bottom-placed team in the table at home will be easy. I’m not convinced that it will be the easy game people think it will be. Darmstadt will fight tooth and nail and we must find the right approach to this game. We must perform to 100% and be tight as a unit. That is the key to success.”
The coach has reason to smile for a change with regard to team selection, as key trio Bobby Wood, Johan Djourou and Kyriakos Papadopoulos are all fit again and expected to start on Saturday. Papadopoulos has been especially missed. A glance at the stats reveal that with him in the side they are unbeaten in 8 league games, but without him HSV conceded a whopping 13 goals.
Schalke as a warning example
Darmstadt keeper Michael Esser has had to pick the ball out of his own net on 34 occasions away from home this term. The “Lilys” as Darmstadt are known have yet to win a point away from home this season in 14 attempts. Gisdol does not want his team to be lulled into a sense of false security by those stats and warned: “Darmstadt are much-improved since the winter break. You only have to look at their last two away games. They were so close to winning in Ingolstadt and they put pressure on Schalke and struck at set pieces. They are a side that deserves respect. They no longer play long balls like they did earlier in the season. They are a big threat at set pieces in every game.”
The first game between the two teams saw HSV record their first league victory of the season (2-0). Since then HSV have collected 29 points from 17 games. Those nine victories are only bettered by top duo Bayern and RB Leipzig. Seven of them came at the Volksparkstadion. Tomorrow afternoon another massive crowd in the region of 53, 000 will greet the teams as they walk out onto the hallowed turf. Most of them are hoping for another home in in HSV’s annual quest to retain top flight status.
Possible line-ups:
HSV (from): Mathenia, Mickel, Diekmeier, Djourou, Douglas, Gregoritsch, Holtby, Hunt, Jatta, Jung, Kostic, Mavraj, Papadopoulos, Ostrzolek, Sakai, Waldschmidt, Walace, Wood
Possible Darmstadt line-up: Esser - Sirigu, Banggaard, Sulu, Holland - Gondorf, Hamit Altintop - Sam, Vrancic, Heller – Platte
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Niederkassel)