Hamburg hanging tough as Bremen come calling

Fans in northern Germany will be on tenterhooks when captain Frank Baumann takes improving Werder Bremen to Hamburger SV on a mission "to overtake" their rivals in what is the clubs' 167th derby meeting.

Bremen recovering
Hamburg have not finished above Bremen in the league since 2002/03, but for now Martin Jol's side are three points and two places better off than Thomas Schaaf's men, who have not looked themselves this season. In danger of making an early exit from the UEFA Champions League, Bremen only recently shook off their poor domestic form with seven points from the last three Bundesliga games.

'A special game'
They will need to be at their best on Sunday as they look to extend fifth-placed Hamburg's five-match wait for a home win in this fixture – with Baumann confident that Bremen's home and away victories over the 'Rothosen' last term augur well. "We are going to Hamburg to overtake HSV in the table," he said "This is a special game for us and we have been the better team in recent years."

Stand-in skipper
Bremen will be without the suspended Mesut Özil, but to even up the numbers, Hamburg's David Jarolím also serves a one-game ban, leaving Joris Mathijsen to deputise as captain. "It's a great honour for me to lead the side in such a big match," said Mathijsen. "It's a very special feeling, but the most important thing is to get the points."

Emotional occasion
Jol knows that will be far from easy. "Not all our new players have convinced me so far," he admitted. "We have to stop making silly mistakes, especially against teams like Bremen, or we'll have serious problems qualifying for Europe." Holding their nerve in such an emotional contest will be a challenge, and Hamburg sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer – who played for both clubs – recognises how fraught things can be. "Everyone in the region talks about the game for weeks beforehand," he said. "They can't wait for it. It's a really special fixture and I hope we win it."