Bremen vs. Hamburg: the Nordderby lowdown! We go under the bonnet of one of German football's biggest rivalries... vor 2 Stunden

Published on: 22 February 2018

Both at the wrong end of the table this season, Werder Bremen and Hamburg will meet this weekend for the Nordderby. But just what is this captivating clash all about? bundesliga.com gives you the lowdown on the the oldest and most frequently-played grudge match in Germany’s top flight.

Currently locked in a relegation battle with time rapidly running out on the 2017/18 season, HSV and Werder are desperate to take all the spoils from Saturday evening’s meeting. Winless in ten, Bernd Hollerbach’s men look to be facing their hardest-ever fight to maintain their proud record of never having dropped out of the Bundesliga.

Sitting second from bottom, Die Rothosen can spy Bremen just two spots further ahead, yet with a significant gap of six points to make up on their rivals, who have won just five games all season. Yet if one game can produce the inspiration needed for either side to turn things around, it’s the Nordderby.  

Watch: The 107th Nordderby was an eventful affair ...

What is it?

It’s the meeting of two of the most successful clubs in Germany, who also happen to be relatively near neighbours. Only 116 kilometres separate Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion from Bremen’s Weser-Stadion, and while the two clubs have challenged each other on the field, the two port cities they represent have also powered each other off it as economic forces in the north of the country.

Why does it matter?

It has a lot to do with tradition. Hamburg traces its history back to 1887, while Werder were formed in 1899. The first meeting of the two northern giants was in 1927, and since the first Bundesliga season in 1963-64, no rivalry has been as enduring in the Germany’s elite division.

Hamburg have featured in every Bundesliga seasons so far, while the Green-Whites have spent only one year out of the elite after being relegated in 1980. Both teams had cause to boast in the early days of the newly-formed league. DFB Cup winners in 1963, Hamburg saw local boy Uwe Seeler finish as the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer in its inaugural season. The West Germany star netted 30 times in that campaign as the Red Shorts finished sixth, but a year later Werder were crowned champions at the end of the 1964-65 season.

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