HSV is the top promotion favorite – “because the quality is brutal”
HSV coach Tim Walter celebrates with the fans – in the season that is now starting, promotion should be celebrated
Which: REUTERS
In a Sky expert talk, Hamburger SV is traded as the clear favorite for promotion, and the competition in the league also sees it that way. But who else belongs to the aspirants?
VFour days before the start of the new season in the 2nd Bundesliga, TV experts have decided on Hamburger SV as the favourites. During the Sky Talk on Monday evening in a Hamburg sports bar, second division expert Torsten Mattuschka said: “For me, HSV is the top favourite. The quality is brutal. That’s why they’re promoted.” His colleague Ewald Lienen, who held various positions of responsibility at FC St. Pauli for a long time, said: “HSV is one of the top favourites.” For the former player and coach, however, the top is broader : “Hanover and Nuremberg also brought good people in.”
Mattuschka, who played professionally for Union Berlin and Energie Cottbus, is expecting another exciting year. Up to nine teams had chances of promotion for a long time in the pre-season. “I think the season will get even tighter,” said the 41-year-old former midfielder. The Bundesliga relegated Greuther Fürth and Arminia Bielefeld “will play a good role from the start,” he said. In the last second division year, the relegated Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen managed to return to the Bundesliga immediately.
Sporting director Marcus Mann from Hannover 96 is also firmly anticipating a rise in the second Bundesliga season for northern rivals Hamburger SV. “Due to last season you have to name Hamburger SV as favourites. They more or less held the team together and even strengthened it,” said the 38-year-old.
The 96ers are also among the promotion candidates, because after three disappointing seasons, Mann signed eleven new players and coach Stefan Leitl from SpVgg Greuther Fürth, who was also being courted by other clubs. Lower Saxony open the new season on Friday evening with a game at 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Behind HSV you can “definitely speak of eight to ten teams that are on the same level,” said Mann. “In my opinion, there are also a few teams like Nuremberg or Darmstadt that are one or two years ahead of us in terms of development. So I’m sure it’s a very interesting, very balanced and very difficult league to predict this season.”
