Football United

As the dust settles on recent World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, the Bundesliga takes centre stage again as round nine looms on Saturday (15.10.05, kick off 3.30 pm). Second placed HSV brimming with confidence after a 19 game unbeaten run, entertains seventh placed VfL Wolfsburg in the AOL Arena. The clash promises to be one of the most entertaining of the round, and the fans from both clubs can't wait for the action to start!

Van Buyten doubtful
The HSV skipper Daniel van Buyten could miss the game on Saturday. The giant Belgian defender is struggling with an adductor strain. Should he miss the game, there could be a rare first team appearance for René Klingbeil. Apart from that single doubt, the HSV coach Thomas Doll can pick from a full strength side, after his internationals returned home unscathed-

Belgian returns
The visiting side under coach Holger Fach will be hoping to end their dismal record in the AOL Arena. They lost all three of their last visits there. Fach will be able to pick his Belgian defender Peter van der Heyden again, after the player with 17 international caps to his name was sidelined for months through injury. In-form striker Mike Hanke is expected to partner Diego Klimowicz up front. Georgian international midfielder Levan Tskitishvili is not expected to make the starting line-up in Hamburg.

HSV could go top
A victory for the home side could put them top of the Bundesliga table should Bayern Munich ( one point ahead of HSV) lose their tough away match at Schalke. A victory for the Wolves could move them into 5th place in the Bundesliga table should other results go their way. The Wolves lost 0-2 away to Bayern in round 8, it was their first defeat in four matches. They will be determined to return to winning ways in the AOL Arena on Saturday.

Dutch danger
Rafael van der Vaart is the player in form at the moment. The youg Dutch midfielder is proving to be a handful for all Bundesliga defences, and it will be interesting to see how Wolfsburg try to contain the considerable threat that he poses.


HSV: 1 Wächter - 20 Demel, 21 Boulahrouz, 5 van Buyten, 3 Atouba - 6 Wicky - 14 Jarolim, 22 Beinlich - 23 van der Vaart - 11 Lauth, 10 Barbarez

Reserves: 12 Kirschstein (Gk), 7 Mahdavikia, 8 Karl, 13 Fillinger, 15 Trochowski, 16 Klingbeil, 17 Ziebig, 19 Kucukovic, 24 Ziegler, 25 Mpenza, 27 Laas, 31 Takyi, 32 Takahara

Missing: 4 B. Reinhardt 18 Hampel 28 Benjamin

VfL Wolfsburg: 1 Jentzsch - 19 Alex, 18 Quiroga, 29 Hofland, 22 Neziri - 6 Thiam - 27 Karhan, 3 van der Heyden - 10 d'Alessandro - 11 Hanke, 9 Klimowicz

Reserves: 30 Lenz (Gk), 4 Langkamp, 5 Schnoor, 7 Abuda, 15 Makiadi, 20 Hrgovic, 21 Marlet, 31 Sarpei, 33 Franz, 36 Menseguez

Missing: 8 Hristov 17 Tskitishvili 26 Fischer 32 Lamprecht 40 Platins

Source; hsv.de