Fürth arrive in Hamburg for top-of-the-table clash

Focus on the visitors

Apart from a one-season sojourn in the Bundesliga in 2012/13, SpVgg Greuther Fürth have been in the 2. Bundesliga uninterrupted since 1997. After a couple of seasons of fighting relegation, 43-year-old Stefan Leitl took over the reins at the Sportpark Ronhof in February 2019, guiding his side to 13th and 9th-placed finishes, a marked improvement and a discernible style developing in Franconia. Leitl’s possession-based game has won admirers around the league, his charges playing attractive football, tiring their opponents out, but, in contrast to previous seasons, striking when on top and also looking more solid defensively. A 4-1 win over Würzburger Kickers last Sunday at home saw Fürth keep up with the leading trio and also separating themselves from the chasing pack, sitting five points clear of fifth-placed Karlsruhe on 38 points. With Hamburg only three points ahead and with a better goal difference by four, a clear win for the Shamrocks on Saturday could see them leapfrog their opponents and lay down a marker in the race for promotion.

HSV need top performance without Dudziak

Whilst the sporting hierarchy perhaps would have taken a draw away at Aue before the game kicked off, last Friday’s 3-3 draw at the Erzgebirgsstadion left the Rothosen feeling disappointed on their trip back from Saxony. After an imperious first half, Daniel Thioune’s men perhaps should have been further ahead than the 3-1 lead they did hold, playing it round their opponents but Aue fighting back in the second half on an increasingly difficult surface to play football on. With all three teams behind the Rothosen winning, the gap at the top was cut to two points, the Rothosen heading into Matchday 21 on 41 points, and still ten games unbeaten. Daniel Thioune is without a number of key players on Saturday, Jeremy Dudziak not recovering from a strained muscle in his left thigh in time to take part, Bobby Wood also missing his second game in a row with thigh problems. Long-term absentees Toni Leistner, Josha Vagnoman and Klaus Gjasula continue their rehabilitation, but are still a way away from being considered for selection.

Daniel Thioune on the mindset heading into the game: "We know that against Fürth we need a certain stability, but also want to be dynamic moving up the pitch. We have a lot of players who would suit such a playing style, but we haven't made any decisions yet.”