Pure drama in the Nordderby: is mentality HSV's edge? | OneFootball

The Nordderby takes place in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. HSV travel to Werder Bremen after winning an exciting first meeting at home. In recent weeks, the Rothosen have picked up only two points from four matches, but their chances of staying up do not look all that bad.

That is because the competition has hardly been setting the world alight. And if there is one thing to HSV’s credit, it is undoubtedly the fact that, apart from a few exceptions, they have looked fairly solid defensively in the second half of the season. Everyone agrees, however, that 31 points still will not be enough.

So they still need more points. One win could already do it. And a victory in the Nordderby would of course be absolutely crucial, especially since it would also put six points between them and a direct rival. But that is also where the danger lies: if Werder win, the two sides will be level on points.

HSV must get into Werder’s heads

There are, of course, several interesting factors that make this game so special. HSV already have the advantage that even a draw would be enough for the Rothosen to come away from the matchday at least reasonably satisfied. For Werder, on the other hand, a win feels much more like a necessity. And that naturally creates pressure. That pressure certainly did not ease after numerous Werder fans whipped the team on during their final training session. The support of the Green-Whites is undoubtedly assured, but the team also knows that the entire stadium and the entire city now have expectations.

And that is HSV’s opening. They are playing away from home, can—as mentioned—live with a draw if necessary, and do not have to make a major statement from the very start. The Rothosen can be perfectly content if they stay compact in the opening minutes, keep a clean sheet, and then gradually land a few blows. That is exactly what can cause murmurs in the stands and impatience to grow. With Werder having lost three of their last four matches, that could in turn make the team even more unsettled.

Photo: IMAGO

The Rothosen must try to get into Werder’s heads somehow. Taking the lead, but also simply creating a few dangerous chances and winning duels, can do exactly that. A Nordderby with this kind of sporting tension can ultimately also be decided mentally. The psychological side is absolutely crucial, and in difficult situations HSV have often looked quite composed this season, even if their away record is not ideal.

Still, that psychological aspect could ultimately work in HSV’s favor if they play that card well. Even during the phase in which Werder stabilized under Daniel Thioune, they never gave the impression of being a team capable of going on a real tear. On top of that, Bremen are still without important players and have to make compromises when it comes to squad depth and options from the bench. But that is also clear: in this derby, HSV will need to show a clear improvement from their performance against VfB Stuttgart.

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