He’s the derby expert: HSV star already looking forward to Werder | OneFootball

Like most HSV players, Nicolás Capaldo is facing his first Northern Derby. However, the Argentinian is well-acquainted with heated rivalries.

Nicolás Capaldo has only been with Hamburger SV since this summer. Yet, the Argentinian has already internalized the significance of the Northern Derby. “I understand it,” said the 27-year-old after HSV fans made it unmistakably clear following the victory against Stuttgart what a duel against Werder Bremen means. Thanks to his time in Salzburg, he is already proficient in the German language. And due to his past, he knows very well how real derbies feel.

Capaldo is a player who thrives on such games. As a former professional of Boca Juniors, he has played in the legendary “Superclásico” against River Plate four times. This is the derby that goes far beyond football in Buenos Aires and regularly electrifies an entire continent. Those who have endured this intensity know how to perform in big games. And that is precisely why Capaldo can rightfully be called THE derby expert in the HSV squad before the encounter against Werder.

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On the field, he approaches every match with a derby mindset. Since Warmed Omari's injury, the trained midfielder has been playing as the right center-back in the three-man defense but appears all over the field. “We have to perform like we did against Stuttgart, with that intensity,” the vice-captain, who replaces the injured Yussuf Poulsen as captain, is quoted by the Hamburger Abendblatt.

His “warrior” image, which he himself introduced in the official HSV introduction video, is confirmed week after week. Even against Stuttgart, he pressed the goalkeeper as a defender and played a crucial role in the victory with his ball recovery before the 2-1 goal. However, against Holstein Kiel, coach Merlin Polzin gave him a break so that he can start the Northern Derby on Sunday with full force.

And Capaldo promises: The encounter with Werder will be memorable! “These games are always special,” says the Argentinian. “I hope our fans will remember this derby for a long time.”

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