Match Preview vs Holstein Kiel

Our Opponents: 

Head coach Marcel Rapp will be delighted with the start of the season compared to how the last campaigned kicked off. Rapp has built a good camaraderie within the Kiel ranks with a good mixture of young and experienced heads. One issue remains with the squad is the amount of goals that they are conceding. Exhibit A, Paderborn 7-2 Kiel last month. May former HSVers sit in the Kiel changing room theses days with Jan-Fiete Arp, heading the list. So far no goals for the former Rothosen striker though. Sitting 7th with 12 points is a respectable position for our Friday nights hosts… although we need to talk about the fact that HSV have yet to beat Kiel in the 2. Bundesliga. Three wins and five draws for the Storks gives them the upper hand going into this fixture as always, but the “flucht” must end somehow! 
 

Match Facts:

HSV on the verge of a historic away record 

Hamburger SV have won their last six away games in the 2. Liga and are now aiming for a historic record in Kiel: Only Arminia Bielefeld have won seven away games in a row in the history of the second division in 2019. Including the DFB Pokal and play offs, the Rothosen have now won their last eight away games - a club record in 60 years of professional football. 

Outstanding HSV defence 

HSV currently have the best defence in the 2nd Bundesliga, conceding just three goals in their first seven games and conceding five nil. The last time there were so few goals conceded after seven matchdays in the 2nd Bundesliga was ten years ago (1860 München also conceded three, Eintracht Braunschweig even with only two). For HSV, the current figure is also a new club record. Interesting: According to the quality of the chances, HSV should have conceded eleven goals (xGoal's opponents 10.5), but keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes has so far blocked 91 per cent of the opponents' shots on goal - outstanding!

Anniversary for Walter

Tim Walter is about to play his 50th match as HSV coach. His record so far: 27 wins, twelve draws and ten defeats. That makes an average of 1.9 points per game. Interesting: Walter also has 34 second-league games as KSV coach on his CV. Kiel was his first professional stop as head coach. Read more about Walter's special anniversary here.