2. Bundesliga: Schalke vs Hamburg! Is Schalke beyond help? Even a weakened Hamburg is underestimated by the director

Let's talk about the opening match of the 2. Bundesliga today! Schalke versus Hamburg!

Hamburg has secured fourth place in the league for three straight seasons.

Third place offers promotion opportunities, yet Hamburg always falls just short: missing by 1 point in two seasons, and by 4 points in another.

They manage to secure the lucrative fourth place share while avoiding promotion risks—a real skill!

Currently, Hamburg is entering their fourth season in the 2. Bundesliga; could there be a surprising ending? It's uncertain.

But one thing is clear: Hamburg at the start of the season should not be underestimated.

In the 18/19 season, Hamburg won 4 out of their first 5 matches.

In 19/20, they also won 4 of the first 5 games, scoring 13 goals while conceding only 3, which was very impressive.

Last season was even stronger, with five consecutive wins to start, beating two newly relegated teams and also winning away against Fürth, who have now been promoted to the Bundesliga. Their dominance in the 2. Bundesliga is unmistakable.

So, does Hamburg have a chance to continue this momentum against Schalke?

Although there are many negative factors.

For example, loss of key players:

The strongest striker in the 2. Bundesliga, Terodde, transferred to Schalke, and the main goalkeeper Ulreich moved to Bayern.

Also, injuries to key players:

Midfielders Kittel, Dudziak, and two other main players will miss tonight's match.

Yet the director still holds Hamburg in high regard.

Look at the support for Schalke; there is hardly any respect from a Bundesliga-level team playing against a 2. Bundesliga side.

Keep in mind Schalke's current market value is €82.8 million, the highest in the 2. Bundesliga, more than double that of Hamburg.

And yet, today against a weakened Hamburg, the support is so minimal? This does not reflect the home advantage of 19,770 fans cheering; it seems unreasonable.

Schalke indeed has their own problems.

Their debt issues remain unresolved, and they have sold many key players.

For example, midfield core Serdar, main striker Uth, Raman, and Huntelaar...

Additionally, some key players remain injured, such as center-back Sané and defensive midfielder Mascarell.

Add to that the main goalkeeper Fährmann in COVID isolation, and top scorer Hoppe playing in the Gold Cup, Schalke’s lineup is actually quite depleted.

Moreover, some players like Kabak are eager to leave the team.

Schalke’s rebuilding is incomplete; not only has the squad undergone major changes, but last season they also changed coaches five times, with constantly shifting tactics. This requires a long adjustment period, and restoring players’ fighting spirit is a major challenge.

Hamburg’s fundamentals may not be inferior, and the director’s attitude towards Schalke...

Hopefully, Hamburg can live up to the director’s expectations today and perform well!

Whether it’s 1 point or 3 points, I hope they can at least avoid defeat!

Alright, for today’s other matches, I will still provide text analysis for you this afternoon. Feel free to ask me if anything is unclear.

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