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Rivalry beyond a normal game

HSV kicked Fuchse out of the Champions league, and now they're coming to Berlin to save the season, after the shock of being kicked out of the Cup. A possible defeat here would create a big lag behind Kiel

Sunday is reserved for two big derbies in Germany. First, handball fans will be able to watch the game between Goppingen and Kiel, and then there will be the big encounter in the Max Schmelling arena in Berlin, where Fuchse are hosting HSV. Arenasport is covering both matches...

The Berliners have waited for this for a long time. The tensions are even stronger because HSV want to sign Silvio Heinevetter, but the goalie decided to stay in Berlin - they offered him a 10 years contract and basically everything he wanted. Two club presidents, Frank Steffel and Mathias Rudolph fought over the media, Nincevic got a brutal headbutt from Jansen... all the things that show us this will be another hot game between the bitter rivals.

HSV kicked Fuchse out in the Champions League qualifications, even with Fuchse leaving a lot better impression in two games. Now it's time for the revenge, and Fuchse look more compact,  better organized, with a clearer idea of the game and a lot better defense before the game. Besides all of that, HSV are probably a bit shell-shocked after losing to Goppingen at home during the week, and dropping out of the Cup. Everyone knows how important the Cup is in Hamburg, because of the constant Final Four establishment.

The current state on the table says that Fuchs have two more points than Hamburg, but with one game more. The winner will take the first position behind Kiel. All the guarantees for a great match are definitely there.

- But nobody thinks that the win would be an automatic signal for Kiel. The win only brings two important points - the always humble coach Dagur Sigurdsson calmly said. He's one of the best experts in the Bundesleague at the moment.

- You always need to have emotion in handball. That's why it's important that our arena boils. I expect an emotionally charged game today because these two teams played a lot of important, top quality and combative games over the last years, and we can describe it as rivalry by now.

There won't be any issues when it comes to that, 9.000 tickets have long been sold.

- To beat Hamburg, we need to have the atmosphere we used to have against Leon in the Champions league - boss Bob Hanning added. That was a game where they made up for the 10 points difference from Spain.

- If we play our top game, we will win the game - left wing Fredrik Petersen, last season Hamburg player, said. To the Tagesspiegel's journalist question about the Hamburg's weak spot, he answered:

- Maybe coming back to the defense... - and laughed.

He isn't wrong. HSV offense with Markovic and Canellas can't have top defense transition, nor with the combination of Markovic and Lackovic. They're a bit better when Hens plays the left back, but that's also far from ideal because Hens often goes deep into the defense, and that makes it harder to come back. There's no doubt about Sigurdsson attacking the guests on that segment exactly, since he has a complete team.

HSV come shaken up, without a question. They never dropped out in the second round of the Cup in the history of the club, and never that early. Goppingen shocked them, and maybe even charged their arrogance that was born out of 11 wins series. Besides dropping out, and having to watch other four teams on the Final Four in their own arena, it's been a big blow to the club finances, as well. 

- We have to win in Berlin now - Torsten Jansen said right away.

- Berlin are really important now. After that game, we'll be either second or sixth, and that's enough of a pressure.

Goalie Bitter thinks the same...

- We're out of the Cup, but if we win against Berlin, the championship will remain open.

Coach Schwalb is trying to keep the tensions down, saying that "the game doesn't decide the championship", which is not completely wrong, but HSV would be having a third defeat, which would put them behind Kiel, and their November schedule is a nightmare: Magdeburg, Flensburg, Lowen, and then two Champions league games against Flensburg.

- This game means a lot to both teams, they're equal, and I'm looking forward to the match - Schwalb stated. He can count on his whole team, even with a small question mark about the right wing Adrian Pfahl's performance, who isn't 100% ready yet.

- The season has 34 rounds, and the title is decided in May. The Berlin game is important, but we won't be German champions after that, and we won't lose our chances if we are defeated - HSV coach added, one of the most overestimated coaches of Bundesleague.

Against Goppingen, and even against Aalborg before that, HSV had big troubles, mostly because of the opponents' top defense, but also transitions that put the pressure on their return to defense. What will be waiting for them in the hell of Berlin? If not for Duvnjak, we'd be betting everything on Fuchse winning, and like this... it will be steaming hot, that's for sure.

If HSV didn't have Domagoj Duvnjak, I'd take this bet with everything I have, but considering the qualities that that player has - he almost defeated Kiel single-handedly last season in the Champions league semifinals, I would play more carefully. HSV have a more expensive team, a wider bench and bigger names. But they don't have a better team, and I mean everything that goes with it - team spirit, playing as a team, the sense of togetherness, locker room atmosphere. Markovic and Dordic are awful defense players, Pfahl isn't on his 100%, and that means problems in defense. Fuchse have a better chemistry, a better defense... Hamburg had an 11 wins series, but you can see a drop in their last few games. They barely managed to win with 2 points difference against Aalborg, who play with kids and only two real back players. They've lost to Goppingen, and this game against Fuchse is a special one. This will be a real little war, and Fuchse should have kicked them out from the Champions league at the beginning of the season, but they didn't have Christopherson then. Sigurdsson is a bit better coach than Schwalb, and I don't doubt he'll prepare for the game better. Fucshe almost had wins against Lowen and Flensburg, but ended with unfortunate draws They'll make up for that bad luck today.