Hamburger vs SC Paderborn 07 preview - Hamburg hoping for home success

Posted Friday, August 29, 2014 by PA

The only club never to have been relegated from the Bundesliga face the latest team to join the German top flight this Saturday when Hamburg play host to newcomers Paderborn.

Paderborn picked up a 2-2 draw on their Bundesliga debut against Mainz last weekend, missing out on all three points only after conceding a stoppage-time penalty.

Hamburg also started out with a point thanks to a goalless draw in Cologne, but their expectations are higher for their first home game of the season.

"We've made an okay start to the season with the games in Cottbus (in the DFB-Pokal) and Cologne, but we can do even more and of course we want to keep the three points at home," said defender Marcell Jansen at a press conference.

Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka even spoke of an "obligation" to gift the home fans three points.

"We have sold almost 52,000 tickets already and our coming home games are also due to be sell-outs," said Slomka.

"I expect my team therefore to show they have a convincing winning mentality.

"We need to treat every game as if it's a final. That's the only way we are going to win back our fans' faith."

Paderborn coach Andre Breitenreiter knows what it feels like to run out in the former Parkstadion, having spent three years as a player with the northern Germany side.

"I'm really looking forward to going back," he said. "I had some fantastic years there, also playing in Europe.

"These are the kind of games it's really worth playing in."

According to Breitenreiter, Hamburg are a side who will be challenging for a top-six finish this season, even if they only narrowly avoided relegation last term.

"They play with good organisation and are looking considerably more solid now," he said.

Paderborn's hopes of leaving Hamburg with something have been dealt a blow, however, with Alban Meha and Mahir Saglik both injured.

"That deprives us of practically half of the goals we scored last season, but we'll find some good alternatives for our attack," Breitenreiter added on his club's website.