Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
On May 18, at the Trolli Arena, the 34th round of the German 2. Bundesliga will see Greuther Fürth take on Hamburg. For this matchup, I'm offering a bet on goals, cards, and the winner.
Greuther Fürth
This century, the team has made two attempts to prove themselves in the Bundesliga 1. They were promoted in 2012 and 2021, but both times ended in relegation, finishing 18th, dead last. After their most recent setback, the squad didn’t give much hope for another promotion push. Still, last season they managed to climb from 12th to at least 8th place.
This year, however, the club looks weaker. It seems they relaxed too early this season, thinking they had at least secured their place in the league, and promotion to Bundesliga 1 was out of the question. They didn’t win a single match in the spring, and the relegation-threatened teams gradually closed the gap. After losing to Hertha, they drew with Hannover, which was just enough to keep a slim lead over Eintracht—but now, with only a one-point difference, a win is highly desirable.
Hamburg
This club has practically become a football meme. Once proud of never having missed a single Bundesliga 1 season, they’ve since found it impossible to return. In fact, they’ve only once made it as far as the promotion playoffs, but have consistently finished fourth. That’s exactly where they ended up last year, concluding another disappointing campaign.
There were fears the favorite might again create problems for themselves this season. Despite leading the pack confidently, they hit a slump in April, earning just one point from three matches. But their rivals also dropped points, and the team pulled themselves together, thrashing Darmstadt. Their long-awaited return was sealed with a 6-1 demolition of Ulm.
Match facts
- Greuther Fürth are winless in nine consecutive rounds
- On average, Greuther score 1.27 goals and concede 1.73 goals per match
- Hamburg have won two matches in a row
Head-to-head
Last spring, Greuther Fürth managed a home draw. The other three recent meetings, including this season, ended in defeats for them.
Greuther Fürth vs Hamburg Prediction
The bookmakers are leaning towards the visitors, even though they have nothing left to play for. But Hamburg are in better form—back the league leaders with a handicap of "0" (odds – 1.6).
