Former Hamburger SV star Rafael van der Vaart minced no words in a recent interview with Camel Live, stating that newly-promoted Hamburg have little chance of securing a positive result against Bayern Munich in their upcoming Bundesliga clash.
"For Hamburg, this is a daunting task," Van der Vaart said. “From my perspective, conceding fewer than five goals would be a good result.”
Hamburg will travel to face Bayern in the late kickoff of Bundesliga Matchday 3 this Saturday. In their first two league games, the promoted side drew 0-0 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach but suffered a 0-2 home defeat to local derby rivals FC St. Pauli. Bayern, by contrast, are in scintillating form, having thrashed RB Leipzig 6-0 before edging a 3-2 away win over Augsburg.
Van der Vaart noted: “The promoted side started decently in their first Bundesliga game, but their performance against St. Pauli felt like a return to 2. Bundesliga level. Of course, every match is different, and facing Bayern is always tough. But if you can't create chances at home against St. Pauli, the trip to Munich doesn't bode well.”
The 42-year-old Dutchman advised Hamburg to treat the match as a learning opportunity: “They should enjoy the experience, try to put in a decent performance, and hope not to get demolished.”
Van der Vaart, who played for Hamburg twice between 2005–2008 and during a brief return in 2012, highlighted historical data underscoring Hamburg's struggles against Bayern. In their last eight away matches against the Bavarians, Hamburg have conceded 50 goals—an average of over six per game.
