Hamburger vs Hannover 96 preview

Posted Friday, February 06, 2015 by PA

Hamburg coach Josef Zinnbauer appreciates the "relaxed time" his team earned with their 3-0 midweek win at Paderborn, but accepts things could turn hostile again if things go wrong this weekend.

HSV started 2015 with a home defeat to Cologne and, although Wednesday's victory has lifted spirits a little, he knows results are crucial with Hannover arriving for a northern derby this weekend.

"We didn't aim to look pretty in Paderborn - we just wanted to win, and that is what we did," Zinnbauer said.

"Hamburg has deserved to have a bit more of a relaxed time."

It would not be so relaxed if they were to lose again on Saturday, and Hannover coach Tayfun Korkut is therefore expecting a Hamburg side who will fight for their lives at the Volksparkstadion.

"Hamburg are going to do all they can to avoid losing a second home game in a row," Korkut said at a press conference on Friday.

That will probably mean a scrap for the points, with Korkut not expecting it to be a pretty encounter.

"It's obvious that you don't win a derby like this purely with good football," Korkut added.

"We've got to find the balance between playing well and getting points."

New signing Joao Pereira could make his debut for Hannover following his arrival from Valencia, but Didier Ya Konan is not yet an option and both Edgar Prib and Andre Hoffmann are still not yet fully fit.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Lewis Holtby, Valon Behrami and Dennis Diekmeier are all ruled out for Hamburg, who ended a 398-minute goalscoring drought in midweek.