All eyes will be on the Bundesliga this weekend as it becomes the first major European football league to resume following the coronavirus pandemic.
However, let’s not forget that Germany’s second tier is also set to resume, with Greuther Furth hosting Hamburger in a hugely important game at the top end of 2. Bundesliga on Sunday.
Furth currently find themselves fifth in the table on 36 points - two places and eight points behind Hamburger.
Stefan Leitl’s side were unbeaten in their previous three games leading up to the stoppage in the season. Two draws and an impressive win over second-place Stuttgart have left Furth in a promising position.
It’s not going to be easy, but by continuing their recent form, Furth stand a genuine chance of finishing in the top three come the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, promotion for Hamburg is entirely in their hands. The Red Shorts sit third in the standings - three points clear of fourth-place Heidenheim.
However, Hamburg’s form leading up to the unexpected break in play wasn’t great. Dieter Hecking’s men had only won one of their last four games, so they’ll need to hit the ground running when the season resumes.
Hamburg have only lost three games on the road this term, but they’ve also managed to win just three. Seven away draws have hampered Hamburg on their travels.
1⃣4⃣ Jahre HSV & @emirates! Erinnert ihr euch an die vielen großartigen Momente, die wir zusammen erlebt haben? An die Traumtore, die Leidenschaft, die Auswärtsfahrten? Immer mit dabei war unser starker Partner auf der Brust 💪✈#nurderHSV🔷 pic.twitter.com/gjzjmT4v11— Hamburger SV (@HSV) May 13, 2020
1⃣4⃣ Jahre HSV & @emirates! Erinnert ihr euch an die vielen großartigen Momente, die wir zusammen erlebt haben? An die Traumtore, die Leidenschaft, die Auswärtsfahrten? Immer mit dabei war unser starker Partner auf der Brust 💪✈#nurderHSV🔷 pic.twitter.com/gjzjmT4v11
On the other hand, Furth have only lost four of their 12 league games on home soil - winning seven and drawing one.
Hamburg claimed a 2-0 victory over Furth in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign. But perhaps more importantly, the Red Shorts are unbeaten in their previous eight meetings with Sunday’s opponents.
Four wins and four draws during that time suggests that Hamburg shouldn’t lose this weekend. Still, Furth’s home record may make it hard for the away side to come away with all three points.
Looking at the team news, Mergim Mavraj and Maximilian Wittek were both injured before the break, so it’s unclear whether they’ll feature for Furth on Sunday. Midfielder Sebastian Ernst is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards.
As for Hamburger, Jeremy Dudziak and Ewerton are major injury doubts, while right-back Jordan Beyer could return.
Not team in 2. Bundesliga has drawn more away games than Hamburger this term, while only a handful of teams have suffered less home defeats than Furth.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Furth will hold Hamburg to yet another draw on the road.