…the significance of this derby: "Games under the floodlights with this atmosphere to go with it are always special. I can sense the players pushing themselves and each other at training, they want to keep going on the same path as in recent weeks. It’s clear from what’s going on around us as well that this derby is of huge importance, for the people of Bremen and Hamburg alike. These games are why we love football and I’m happy to be experiencing it myself. Obviously everyone would rather it was a Bundesliga clash than a second division game, but this is our league at the moment and we’ve not had a derby here yet. I’m excited for the game, but there are still just three points up for grabs like in any other game. It’s important not to forget your job in all the excitement and stay focused on what you can do. The positive energy that there will be in our stadium, we need to transfer that onto the pitch and let the sparks fly."
…Hamburger SV: "HSV have a really intense style of play. They change positions a lot, try to play their way through teams with one-twos – that will be a big challenge for us. It will be a hard-fought game with intensity and a lot of tackles. Their team also has a lot of players experienced in this league with their sights set on promotion. That’s their goal and the team has matured somewhat under their new coach."