Tensions will be high in the Bundesliga on Friday night, as Josef Zinnbaur's Hamburger SV take on Hertha Berlin at the Imtech Arena. Three points would be much-needed boost for both sides, as they each sit near the foot of the league table.
"It's an extraordinary situation"
- Zoltan Stieber
As much as the importance of this fixture has been the first thing on everybody's lips, much of the press surrounding the game this week has also focused on Hamburg's Hungarian striker Zoltan Stieber, who finds himself in a very unusual position. On Friday night, he could potentially line-up against a Hertha side whose manager - Pál Dárdai - is also the Hungarian national coach - his manager. Stieber, not surprisingly, described it as "an extraordinary situation," after being called up by Dárdai's assistant for the Euro 2016 qualifier with Greece on March 29.
Meanwhile, Hamburg must concentrate fully on the opportunity to take a vital three points on Friday night. Coach Zinnbaur has spoken at length about how the game will be a real scrap - unsurprising considering the two side's respective league positions - but at this stage of the season points are what matters. Hamburg sit fifteenth, just two points in front of Paderborn below them, and a victory on Friday night would do wonders in what is sure to be a tightly-contested battle to avoid the dop zone.
"Getting the three points is what counts"
- Pál Dárdai
For Hertha and coach Dárdai, it is much a similar story as they fight to survive to secure - at least for one more season - their position in Germany's top flight. Dárdai echoed the sentiments of his opposite number in regards to the potential unattractive features of the game, suggesting it was just the points that mattered. "It's been a short week, but we're mentally and physically prepared for the game on Friday evening, that's the most important thing," said the Hungarian at his pre-match press conference. "Getting the three points is what counts, everything else doesn't interest me."
It is frankly no surprise to hear such pragamatic comments from Dárdai as his side struggle in the Bundesliga, sitting fourteenth and just one point above their hosts. Poor away form has left them languishing in a relegation battle and Dádai will need his side to turnaround their form on the road if they are to secure survival. Positivity has arrived in the form of a 2-2 draw with Schalke 04 last weekend, and against a struggling Hamburg side they may not get many better chances this season to secure what could be a vital three points.
