5 days ago
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From Hamburg to Asia
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It is late January, and football is once again in full swing. As we do every week, we feature five games to keep an eye on over the weekend. This weekend offers a massive slate of exciting games across several continents, kicking off with the Hamburg Derby. On top of that, we have exciting matches in Switzerland, England, and Asia. In other words, there are once again exciting games to watch across the globe, and with the expertise of our global team, Transfermarkt takes you around the world to highlight five games you should watch this weekend.
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Hamburg Derby: FC St. Pauli vs Hamburger SV
Tobias Picker (Transfermarkt Content Manager Germany):
For a long time, the Hamburg derby used to be a rare event in Germany’s second-largest city. However, in the last 8 years alone, nearly as many matches have been played as in the previous 34 years since 1977, when both teams first met in the Bundesliga. The gap was too big for both even play in the same league.
On one side, the former European cup holders HSV as one of the biggest clubs in the whole country were a certain part of the first division while the second division seemed to be the very least to achieve over a longer period for the historically much smaller FC St. Pauli that rapidly gained attention since the late 1980’s when a much more alternative fanbase arose in the stadium and a far smaller commercial approach to football created their unique characteristic in Germany's professional leagues.
When HSV indeed were relegated for the first time in 2018, the Hamburg derby became an annual occasion in the 2. Bundesliga with now suddenly St. Pauli being the more successful team in the matches. After winning only two of 17 games since 1977, St. Pauli have lost only four of 13 matches since 2018 and won six, including the game in August, the first after both clubs returned to the Bundesliga. The match on Friday, it seems to be a more balanced encounter than perhaps ever before. Players to watch include the always excellent Luka Vusković. On loan from Tottenham, Vusković has been one of the best defenders in Germany this season.
Swiss Klassiker: FC Zürich vs FC Basel 1893
Maximilian Meyer (Transfermarkt Area Manager Switzerland):
For a long time, the classic match between FC Zürich and FC Basel 1893 was primarily a duel of tradition rather than one of equality on the pitch. While Basel exuded national dominance over the last two decades as a serial champion and regular European Cup participant, FC Zürich fluctuated more between the top group and mid-table in the Super League during this period. The head-to-head record reflects this: in over 80 encounters over the last 20 years, Basel has won around 46 times, Zurich only 17, with numerous draws in between.
Nevertheless, history gave this rivalry the title of “classic” early on. It is not only the long-time both teams have spent together in the top Swiss league that connects them, but also the geographical and cultural rivalry between Zurich and Basel, two of Switzerland's largest cities. A particularly memorable example of this is May 13, 2006, when Zürich clinched the championship title against Basel in the last minute of the game – a moment that had a lasting impact on the intensity and emotionality of this rivalry.
In recent years, the balance of power has evened out somewhat: Zurich has surprised in individual games and scored points against Basel, while the Red and Blues have often remained in the ascendancy. Today, the duels are more unpredictable than ever before, and even though FCB has the historical sporting advantage, recent results show that FC Zürich can be an equal opponent on good days. Sunday's classic is therefore more than just a game for points. It is a clash between two traditional clubs, a reflection of their history, rivalry, and ambitions – a duel in which the past resonates just as much as the question of who currently has the better team on the pitch.
North-South Derby Italy: Juventus vs Napoli
Stefano Buonfino (Transfermarkt Content Manager Italy):
Here we go again, Juventus and Napoli clash once more, this time in Turin, with former coach Luciano Spalletti, on the bench since October, having his team tested with more matches. At the beginning of December, it was Rasmus Højlund's night, with two goals that launched him into the scoring charts, leaving a clear mark on who between him and Lorenzo Lucca could take over from Romelu Lukaku, who has been sidelined for months due to injury.
However, both Napoli and Juve have lost ground on their rivals. The Neapolitans made a great comeback against Inter in the league, but threw away four points against Verona and Parma. Juventus seem to have lost their Scudetto ambitions, but they must keep up with Roma, who face Milan on the same day, to try to secure at least fourth place, which would mean qualification for the 2026/27 Champions League.
Napoli come into the game with a long list of injured players, but despite this, the team has already shown that it can take to the field without fear. Juventus arrive with a more complete squad but have been inconsistent, as evidenced by their emphatic 5-0 win against Cremonese, followed by a defeat in Cagliari. Napoli don't produce much offensively but are very clinical, while Juventus, as always, will hope in the talent of Kenan Yıldız, but keep an eye out for the possible comeback of Jonathan David, who is showing encouraging signs after a dark period.
U23 Asian Cup Final: China vs Japan
Takako Maruga (Area Manager Japan):
The U23 Asian Cup is currently being held in Saudi Arabia. Japan and China will face each other in the final on Saturday, the 25th. The Japanese team, led by manager Go Oiwa, is aiming for its second title in this tournament, having defeated East Asian rival South Korea 1-0 in the semi-final. The Chinese U23 national team, having beaten Vietnam 3-0, has reached the final for the first time, already achieving a historic feat.
The Japan U23 squad boasts promising talents representing the J.League, including captain and right-back Rion Ichihara of Omiya Ardija, Ryunosuke Sato, who was on loan at Fagiano Okayama last season, and Yuto Ozeki of Kawasaki Frontale, who also excelled in last spring's AFC Champions League Elite. Other members represent the J.League's top youth academies and university football.
China's Spanish manager, Antonio Puche, knows his players very well. With him, China qualified for the U16 Asian Championship, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. In 2023, they played in the U20. And this time, they have stabilised the defence with GK Hao Li keeping a clean sheet. In China, this match is widely considered a historical chance after the final against Japan in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, since which China's men's national team has been absent from AFC tournament finals.
South Coast Derby: Portsmouth vs Southampton
Ben Littlemore (Transfermarkt Content Manager England):
This Sunday will see the first South Coast derby league fixture between Portsmouth and Southampton at Fratton Park since 2011. In the reverse fixture at St Mary's, a 'bubble' was used, which saw all Pompey fans obliged to travel together on a selection of buses from Portsmouth to Southampton - that reduced the violence to just two arrests. This will repeat on Sunday with Southampton fans travelling on 45 allocated coaches and police working to prevent a repeat of the violence that marred the fixture when it was last at Fratton Park in 2019, which included an incident where a man punched a police horse.
There isn't much true rivalry and hatred between most of the clubs on the English south coast, but Portsmouth and Southampton certainly differs from that rule. On the pitch itself this season, both teams have struggled. Despite being one of the favourites to regain promotion to the Premier League, Southampton currently sit 15th, 22 points adrift of leaders Coventry. Meanwhile, Pompey find themselves in a relegation battle - defeat on Sunday could see them drop into the bottom three. I have met some Portsmouth fans who have said they would rather beat Southampton and go down than lose to their rivals and stay up.
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