Bundesliga’s troubled twins: which duo will break their slump first? | OneFootball

If you only look at the table, you might think that things are running with reasonably solid normality in the cool north of Germany: HSV, newly promoted, sits respectably in thirteenth place, while Werder Bremen, after a turbulent summer break, is in ninth.

Of course, there have been times when a northern derby took place under more glamorous circumstances. For example, when the Red Shorts and the Green-Whites were battling for the status of the Bundesliga’s second power behind FC Bayern in the mid-2000s. But there have also been worse times—keyword: second-division derbies during the Corona era.

But those who look more closely will spot a rare phenomenon. The hated rivals currently share more similarities than they would probably like. To put it in typically North German terms: both attacking lines this season are as harmless as a seagull on a fish sandwich diet.

So before the first Bundesliga northern derby since 2018, the question arises: Which diamond will find its way out of the doldrums first?

Big Names, Big Disappointments

Both traditional clubs are suffering from the same problem: they have strikers who hardly ever score. HSV’s classic number nines have managed just two goals this season. Ransford Königsdörffer contributed one, Robert Glatzel the other.

At Werder, things look even bleaker: Keke Topp and Victor Boniface are still waiting for their first goal. Tellingly, Bremen’s most dangerous scorer is midfield engine Jens Stage with four goals. No wonder then that no other position is being discussed as much among the fans of both clubs.

Both northern teams started the season with a bold plan. Both HSV and Werder signed a striker who, under normal circumstances, probably wouldn’t have been in their price range. One is named Yussuf Poulsen, the other Victor Boniface.

Two big names, two big hopes, two at least similar stories. Both were only available because injuries had slowed them down. Both wanted to get their careers back on track in a new environment. And yet, both still have zero goals to their names.

The situation is especially frustrating at HSV: Poulsen still can’t get going, has already been injured three times since his arrival, and as of early December, has just 183 Bundesliga minutes under his belt.

Boniface, on the other hand, is mostly fit to play, but rarely sharp. The management initially spoke cautiously of “less than optimal fitness,” and later, ‘Bild’ even reported weight problems. In addition, he apparently doesn’t always welcome the training content. In short, the supposed saviors have not yet provided the hoped-for help.

As Talented as Unlucky

But the currently favored strikers—Königsdörffer at HSV and Topp at SVW—are struggling with similar problems. They are young, talented, promising, but not yet ready to shoulder the burdens of a Bundesliga attack on their own.

Königsdörffer has only scored once so far and has otherwise had a lot of bad luck with disallowed goals, shots off the bar, or a missed penalty.

Topp, on the other hand, was hit twice recently: two goals were disallowed by the video assistant. It’s understandable that this is frustrating. “It pisses me off, it annoys me,” Topp said openly. “It doesn’t completely pass me by. But if I tense up, nothing will work.” You can hardly describe the situation more honestly.

But the coaches continue to stand by their young hopefuls. Werder coach Horst Steffen regularly praises Topp: “He’s improving, has fewer turnovers, which keeps our game flowing.”

HSV coach Polzin says similar things about Königsdörffer: he’s important for the team’s established possession play at times, his runs in behind and his work off the ball are highly valued by the team.

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Will the Strikers Break Their Drought in the Derby?

Despite all the tactical arguments, there’s a truth in football that’s about as hard as Tim Wiese’s “legendary” kung-fu kick against Ivica Olić: in the end, strikers are measured by goals.

No one really needs any more pressure. But at HSV, it came anyway. The long-overlooked Robert Glatzel, who had pushed Königsdörffer to the bench against Stuttgart, promptly scored to make it 1-0, but was injured shortly afterwards and is now out until the end of the year. This means: Königsdörffer now has a virtual guarantee of playing time, but he absolutely has to deliver. Maybe that’s exactly the opportunity he needs?

Because the timing could hardly be more explosive: the 109th Bundesliga northern derby is coming up. Fans have waited seven and a half years to face off again in the top flight. The rivalry has been boiling for weeks, and on the pitch, two struggling strikers will face each other. Königsdörffer on one side, Topp on the other—a Werder homegrown and native of Bremervörde, who has always dreamed of scoring against the unloved rival from the more northern Hanseatic city. One of them could become a hero. And all the previous problems would be swept away in a wave of euphoria.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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