The players of Hamburger SV sprinted towards the cheering fans in the north stand after the redeeming final whistle for the derby victory against city rivals St. Pauli.
Coach Tim Walter was also in the middle of it all, jumping and visibly relaxed with his team as he enjoyed the spectacular 4:3 (1:1) and return to second place in the sold-out Volksparkstadion. “I’m very, very proud of my team and especially of the spectators,” said the coach after the goal festival in the 2nd Bundesliga.
The opponent’s mood was completely different. “The disappointment is great,” said St. Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler. After the stopped series of ten wins in the past week, the Kiez-Club conceded the second defeat in a row. “That was a slap in the face for the boys,” Hürzeler summed up after the derby bankruptcy. He complained about “many individual mistakes”. “The fact is: four goals conceded are too many here at HSV to get something.”
Walter is happy about “can opener”
The spectacle was not initially announced. After a strong guest half and the 0:1 by St. Pauli’s full-back Manolis Saliakas (36th minute), central defender Jonas David (44th) brought the hosts back into play with a remarkable long-range shot from almost 20 meters. The goal made his team “sway”, analyzed Walter. “In the end, Jonas had a golden moment,” said the HSV coach and was happy about this “can opener” for further goals.
The equalizer encouraged the home side, who were at times unsettled in the first half, who turned the game upside down right at the start of the second half with goals from Bakery Jatta (48′) and Moritz Heyer (52′) and took the lead. Substitute Elias Saad (71st) scored to connect St. Pauli. The own goal by Jakov Medic (78th) was ironed out by Jackson Irvine (79th) with a header without any effect on the outcome of the game.
Nine points distance
The hosts initially returned to a direct promotion rank. The displaced competitor 1. FC Heidenheim receives Holstein Kiel on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) and could regain second place with a win. The gap between HSV and fifth-placed city rivals St. Pauli is now nine points. SV Darmstadt 98 remains the leader of the standings with a five-point lead after beating Karlsruher SC 2-1.
The Hamburg high-risk game was accompanied by numerous security forces from the Hanseatic city and other federal states. Until the beginning of the game, the emergency services spoke of a good and peaceful atmosphere. Almost continuously, however, both supporters burned masses of pyrotechnics in the ranks and ignited fireworks.
