Match Preview vs Karlsruher SC

Our Opponents: 

KSC are a well equipped 2.liga side and under Christian Eichner, they’ve continued on the path of being a tough team to beat. Although a team that might not always be pushing for promotion, it is always a torrid side to face with no guarantees. Following a slow start to the season, big defeats to Paderborn and newcomers Magdeburg, KSC seem to be getting their season back on track with three wins in a row. Comfortable victories over Sandhausen and Hansa Rostock with a 6-0 thumping of Jahn Regensburg sandwiched inbetween. With a familiar face in their ranks, Mikkel Kaufmann, on loan to HSV last season, has one goal in his four appearances for KSC this season. 

Match Facts: 

Best defence in the league 

Tim Walter is known to stand for bold offensive football. At the same time, HSV has developed into the best defensive team in the league under his leadership: Last season, 35 goals conceded after 34 games was the league's best, and currently the team has conceded only three again. So far, only the Redhosen have conceded four times in the league. Responsible for this is not only goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, who defends a sensational 89 percent of the opponent's shots on goal, but also captain Sebastian Schonlau, who has so far become HSV's best one-on-one fighter (62 percent tackling rate).   

Full Volkspark

An average of 47,179 spectators made the pilgrimage to the Volksparkstadion for the first three HSV home games of the current season - the lone league leader and a really strong support! However, there is still room for improvement in terms of points scored at home. HSV lost four of the last six games at home. The best away team in the league is only 13th in the home table, having scored only twice in three home games. With the fans behind them, it is imperative to change that! "We have been more successful away from home so far, but we want to do the same at home. We want to be wide awake from the start, full of confidence and full of energy," explained head coach Tim Walter in the press conference. 

Team of the hour 

KSC is the best team in the last three games in the 2. Liga. The Badener's record: three wins in a row with 11:2 goals! This means that Karlsruhe have won as many times in the last three games as they did in the 20 Zweitliga games before. For Christian Eichner's team, it is also the best start in the second division in eight years. Back then, KSC finished third and failed to beat HSV in the relegation to the Bundesliga.