Hamburg – St Pauli

Hamburg will find it extremely difficult in the match against St. Pauli

The city of Hamburg, like all of footballing Germany, is anticipating the return of one of the hottest derbies in the country to the Bundesliga. The Hamburg derby first took place over 100 years ago - in 1924. It has not been seen in Germany's top division for the last fourteen years. The rivalry between Hamburg and St. Pauli extends beyond the football pitch and into the fan environment. For a long time the fan groups of the clubs have had different political views and were open adversaries. The lack of compromise off the pitch often has a significant impact on what happens on it. Hamburg returned to the Bundesliga after seven years in the Second Bundesliga. This period seemed like a real curse for the "dinosaurs" supporters. Every season, except for last year, Hamburg finished either fourth or third and subsequently faced relegation in the playoff for promotion. Finally, the curse was lifted in the 2024/2025 season. It is symbolic that this happened in the season when a young Hamburg native, Merlin Polzin, took over as coach, having dreamed of leading his hometown club. St. Pauli ascended to the elite of German football without such adventures as their rivals, finishing the previous season in fourteenth place, contrary to predictions. The "pirates" managed to maintain their status in the Bundesliga. Betting companies have made the home team the favourites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.39 for their victory. During the offseason, Hamburg only suffered one significant loss in their squad. Ludovit Reis left for Brugge for 6 million euros and will be playing in the Champions League. At the same time, the "dinosaurs" have strengthened significantly. Despite not making any expensive signings, the starting lineup in the first round of the Bundesliga featured central midfielders Kapaldo and Rembergs, as well as defender Torunariaga. Newcomers Philipp and Poulsen played from the middle of the second half. The team managed to secure a 0-0 draw in Mönchengladbach but could have snatched a win if a Hamburg player had not decided to interfere with the ball, which was already heading to the net, whilst being offside just a few minutes before the final whistle. St. Pauli, on the other hand, fought for a draw in a tough "shootout" against Borussia Dortmund, ending in a 3-3 tie. The intensity of the upcoming match will be high, with both opponents likely to score at least one goal against each other.