Hamburg fired up for Valencia visit
Monday, August 8, 2005
Article summary
Hamburger SV are confident of overcoming "a great side" in Valencia CF when they meet in Germany.
Article body
By Mark Bennett & Andy Hall
Hamburger SV have defensive concerns ahead of the first leg of their UEFA Intertoto Cup final against Valencia CF tonight, but their players remain confident they can overcome the Spanish side.
In-form side
Hamburg have struck a rich vein of form this season, recording six successive victories in this competition, seeing off the likes of Czech side SK Sigma Olomouc, who had earlier ended BV Borussia Dortmund's hopes. Much of that form was built on the bedrock of a sound defence, with just two goals conceded in the competition and none in the last four games.
Strength in depth
Injuries to defensive duo Khalid Boulahrouz and Daniel Van Buyten looked to have put paid to much of that strength but without them, Hamburg were equally impressive at the weekend. Guy Demel and René Klingbeil came into the side and kept yet another clean sheet as Hamburg eased to a Rafael van der Vaart-inspired 3-0 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the Bundesliga curtain-raiser.
'Great side'
"Valencia are a great side but we can beat them," said Hamburg coach Thomas Doll. "We are fit and have looked extremely tight at the back." Spanish counterpart Quique Sánchez Flores is equally determined to eke out an advantage at the AOL Arena. "This is a meeting between teams with a lot of history," the 40-year-old said.
Coach confident
"Hamburg are strong opponents who play with great confidence but although we respect Hamburg, any result that is not a win will be unacceptable for us. We want to take Valencia where they deserve to be - to the UEFA Cup."
‘Performance of grandeur’
Sánchez Flores is also keen to dispel any complacency among his side, who will be without Jorge López, Rubén Baraja and Pablo Aimar through injury. "I want my players to put in a performance of the grandeur that a final deserves," he said.
Carboni return
Just two months younger than his coach, Amedeo Carboni has seen more than a little grandeur in his time, and he could be in line for a return to the side along with fit-again Fábian Ayala as Valencia look to take an advantage back to the Mestalla in two weeks.
