Rafael van der Vaart Warns HSV: "Anything Under Five Goals Would Be Good" Against Bayern
Former Hamburger SV (HSV) midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has cautioned his former club ahead of their Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich. Citing HSV's past struggles in Munich, van der Vaart suggests minimizing the damage should be the primary goal.
Van der Vaart's Concerns and Past Experiences
Van der Vaart, who played for HSV from 2005 to 2008 and again from 2012 to 2015, knows firsthand the difficulty of playing at Bayern Munich. He highlighted the team's poor record in recent away games against Bayern, where they have conceded an average of over six goals per game. He specifically recalled the two 8-0 defeats in 2017 and 2015.
An Uphill Battle for HSV
Speaking to "ran," van der Vaart expressed concerns about HSV's chances in the upcoming match. He stated that the newly promoted side should "hope that there isn't a thrashing." He added, "HSV faces a difficult task. Anything under five goals would be good from my perspective." He expressed pessimism, linking the team's performance against St. Pauli to their capabilities to play against Bayern Munich.
HSV's Current Situation and Bayern's Dominance
After two matchdays, HSV sits in 15th place in the Bundesliga table with one point and no goals scored. Their opponents, Bayern Munich, are currently top of the league with six points and a goal difference of +7, having already defeated RB Leipzig 6-0 at home this season. Van der Vaart advises HSV to "simply enjoy and learn, make a decent game."
Bayern Munich's Alleged Impact on HSV's Downfall
Some argue that Bayern Munich has contributed to the downfall of other Bundesliga teams, including Hamburger SV, by consistently buying their best players. While Bayern hasn't frequently targeted HSV's players, there have been a couple of impactful transfers.
Key Transfers and Their Consequences
In 2006, Bayern Munich signed defender Daniel van Buyten from HSV for eight million euros. Later, in 2009, striker Ivica Olic moved from HSV to Bayern Munich on a free transfer. While these departures certainly impacted HSV, the article concludes that HSV's issues ran much deeper and were not solely attributable to Bayern's transfer activity.
