Status: 04/21/2023 08:47 a.m
In the 109th Hamburg city derby between HSV and FC St. Pauli tonight, the focus is also on goalkeepers Daniel Heuer Fernandes and Nikola Vasilj. Both are reliable goalkeepers and are among the best in the 2nd Bundesliga – but their derby records are fundamentally different.
Whether it was Richard Golz’ fatal tee shot that cost HSV the derby win 2-2 in 1997, whether Martin Pieckenhagen, who saved a penalty from St. Pauli’s Thomas Meggle in 2002 and thus initiated the 4-0 victory for the “Rothosen”, or Benedict Pliquett, who went from being a substitute to the hero of the brown and whites in a 1-0 win in 2011 – the Hamburg derby is also a story about goalkeepers. And this time, two of the best goalkeepers in the league meet in HSV keeper Heuer Fernandes and St. Paulis Vasilj.
This year Fernandes second best keeper, Vasilj in fourth
Heuer Fernandes is currently the second-best goalkeeper in the league with a performance score of 56.11, while Vasilj is fourth (54.86). For comparison: The best goalkeeper is Jannik Huth from SC Paderborn, who is just ahead with 56.20. But both Hamburg goalkeepers, like the clubs in the table, are getting closer and closer: Heuer Fernandes’ values are weaker in the second half of the season compared to the first half (54.61/57.36), with Vaslij the development is exactly the opposite, he gets stronger (57.37/51.87).
One reason for the strong performance of the St. Pauli goalkeeper is the improved defensive game of the brown and white team. Since the change of coach to Fabian Hürzeler and the associated record series of ten wins in a row, the Kiezclub has defended better, conceding only five goals in eleven games in the entire second half of the season. In the back series, Vaslij even kept seven clean sheets, and in his 22 appearances so far this season he kept his box clean ten times.
HSV defense weakens, St. Pauli often to zero
Heuer Fernandes’ balance sheet from the second half of the season is as expandable as that of HSV. 16 goals conceded, “only” three clean sheets – things went much better for the 30-year-old in the first half. His vest remained white six times, and the diamond carriers conceded only 19 goals in 17 games. “The trend is your friend” does not currently apply to the Volkspark, although Heuer Fernandes does bears no blame for the repeated, frivolous and avoidable mistakes of those in front of him.
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On the contrary: He often saves his (back) team points. His brilliant save value of 1.13 per game shows his importance for HSV’s game, compared to Vasilj’s 0.81.
Statistically speaking, Heuer Fernandes saved 2.33 goals this season, Vasilj even managed a value of 3.07. And the Bosnian played five fewer games this season than the HSV goalkeeper due to injury.
However, Heuer Fernandes also shines with the ball at his feet and has internalized the “Walter-Ball” in footballing terms. He plays the most short passes per game – and everyone finds a teammate. With a total of just over 90 percent of completed passes, he is also one of the best in the league in this category.
This year Fernandes no lucky charm, Vasilj often champion
But a derby is not a game like any other and enjoys a special status. And Heuer Fernandes’ derby record is sobering: the HSV keeper has experienced seven city duels so far, and he was on the field in five games. Only once did he leave the field as the winner – in a 2-1 win in January 2022. He and his “red pants” lost four times, and in total he conceded eleven goals in his derby appearances.
The record of his counterpart Vasilj reads better – even if the Bosnian has only played three duels so far. The 27-year-old was able to call himself city champion twice and had to get behind him four times in total.
Today (6.30 p.m., in the live center on NDR.de) the conditions for both goalkeepers are similar: both want to win, both want to maintain or improve their club’s chances of promotion to the Bundesliga – and both want to achieve the status of “Number One in Hamburg”. This also requires the saves of Vasilj and Heuer Fernandes.
VIDEO: Hürzeler vs. Walter: reunion with emotional danger of explosion (2 min)
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