Match for the 2nd round of the Bundesliga at the Volksparkstadion. Hamburger SV is meeting St. Pauli.
Match Facts
- Fierce city derby and one of German football’s most heated rivalries.
- HSV have gone 3-1-0 at home against St. Pauli in recent meetings; the last St. Pauli win here was in February 2020 (0-2).
- St. Pauli have a strong habit of starting fast: 4-1-1 in their last six opening away games in the Bundesliga.
Betting Tip Hamburger SV - St. Pauli
St. Pauli look the sharper and more complete side right now. As long as they don’t get carried away into an all-out attack in the derby atmosphere, their pace and quality up front should give them the edge. If they defend with the same discipline shown on the road last season, they have the advantage.
- Prediction: St. Pauli DNB
- Odds: 2.20 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 4
Hamburger SV
The 0-0 draw at Mönchengladbach in their Bundesliga return can be viewed in two ways. On the positive side, they picked up a point on the road and showed focus and discipline in defensive work, an area that had caused concern during pre-season.
The less positive reading is that they did so without playing particularly well. The clean sheet had more to do with Gladbach’s lack of creativity and a couple of sharp saves from Heuer Fernandes during a brief second-half spell. For long stretches, HSV looked passive.
Their counterattacks were the real issue, rarely leading to anything. Central midfielders lacked creativity, while wide players failed to deliver with accuracy. Their only clear chance came just before the final whistle. They’ll hope the return of Dompé, their best winger who made a short cameo, will add more quality going forward.
In short, the point was welcome, but they need to show more. They must be more threatening on the break and add greater quality and creativity in attack.
St. Pauli
There were plenty of positives from their Bundesliga opening game. St. Pauli looked sharper, quicker and more convincing in attack compared to last season, and crucially, they maintained that level throughout. Against Dortmund, they never looked second-best, even when trailing 1-3, a scoreline that reflected Dortmund’s superior individual quality.
They showed great spirit late on: winning a red card and a penalty to pull it back to 2-3 (86’), equalising (89’), and pushing hard for a winner. The 3-3 felt like a victory and gave a real boost to belief in their approach.
We believe that Alexander Blessin’s side appears to have taken a step forward as a unit. They showed improvement against organised defences, and with the added pace in their front line, they now look even more dangerous when given space to counter.
Last season, many of their best results came away from home. With greater speed in transition and more experience managing such tough challenges, they could be even stronger on the road this year. A first test of that theory comes in this fierce city derby, where they hope to welcome back starting centre-back Nemeth after he missed the opener through injury.
