After the draw against SC Paderborn, direct promotion to the Bundesliga has become a little less likely for Hamburger SV. “If there’s no other way, then we’ll take relegation,” said captain Sebastian Schonlau on Friday evening after the 2-2 draw against the fourth-placed team. “Relegation is also a way to get promoted. Then you have two games and it’s back in your own hands.”
The chances of second place in the table with 1. FC Heidenheim are dwindling three games before the end of the season. With a win on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) against 1. FC Magdeburg, the Heidenheimers can clear themselves by six points.
Table leaders Darmstadt 98 seems to be too far away for HSV anyway. The Hessians can already make the promotion perfect on Saturday evening (8.30 p.m. / Sky and Sport1) with a win against FC St. Pauli.
Darmstadt coach Torsten Lieberknecht had announced that he would watch HSV’s game against SC Paderborn on television. However, he did not want to participate in speculation about the premature rise. “We ignore table situations and everything around them. That has been our path all season,” said the 49-year-old Lieberknecht. “That’s why we’re currently at 64 points. We’re not throwing out slogans, we’re staying calm and with ourselves.”
Lieberknecht was able to watch on TV how HSV lost a lead twice against Paderborn. Robert Glatzel (39th) and Sonny Kittel (49th) put Hamburg ahead twice in front of 57,000 spectators in the Volksparkstadion, which was once again sold out. Julian Justvan (43′) and Florent Muslija (73′) both equalized with a penalty kick.
Paderborn’s coach Lukas Kwasniok spoke of a “great game” and “advertisement for the second division”. His HSV colleague Tim Walter could only share half of the enthusiasm. “I’m happy with the performance of my team, but not with the result,” he said.
His players also looked depressed when they went into the cabin. “I have a bit of the feeling that we’re chasing luck a bit,” said midfielder Jonas Meffert. “I just hope we find that again in the next few weeks.” The direct ascent is the goal “while it’s still possible,” said Meffert.
In order to safely reach the relegation, HSV still needs a few points in the final phase of the season. In SC Paderborn, Fortuna from Düsseldorf and FC St. Pauli, three clubs are still within HSV reach, at least in theory. In Jahn Regensburg (17th), in SpVgg Greuther Fürth (12th) and SV Sandhausen (18th) there are solvable tasks on the remaining program. There are many indications that HSV still has to extend the season.
Coaching team HSV squad HSV schedule HSV table 2. Bundesliga squad SC Paderborn coaching team SC Paderborn schedule SC Paderborn
