Borussia Dortmund v Hamburg: Klopp keen to move on from derby defeat

Jurgen Klopp wants Borussia Dortmund to avenge their derby defeat to Schalke when Hamburg visit Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

Klopp’s side were beaten 2-1 by their fierce rivals in the Revierderby last weekend as Dortmund’s mixed start to the Bundesliga campaign continued.

While they bounced back in the UEFA Champions League, coasting past Anderlecht 3-0 on Wednesday, Klopp is keen to return to winning ways in the league against a Hamburg side currently propping up the table.

Dortmund have lost three of their six league games this term, but Hamburg continue to struggle following the malaise of last season.

Having replaced Mirko Slomka with Josef Zinnbauer at the helm, Hamburg initially showed signs of promise – taking a point off champions Bayern Munich at the Imtech Arena.

However, defeats to Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt followed, with Hamburg bringing in Peter Knaber as technical director to assist Zinnbauer in turning their slump around.

Klopp wants to ensure Dortmund return to winning ways in a competition he deems more important the Champions League.

“The Bundesliga is the most important competition for us,” he said on Thursday.

“Yesterday [against Anderlecht] not everything went perfectly but of course I’m not unhappy.

“I do not have the feeling yesterday eliminated the derby defeat or caused a turnaround. We have won one game.

“We must demonstrate a reaction against HSV. We want to eradicate the Derby defeat.”

The last time the sides met at Signal Iduna Park, the hosts ran out 6-2 winners although Hamburg had their revenge with a 3-0 success in February.

Zinnbauer can welcome back captain Rafael van der Vaart following a calf problem while Marcell Jansen (adductor) and Julian Green (rib) also look set to return from injuries.

Discussing the early stages of Zinnbauer’s reign this week, Knaber also explained the need to get a win as soon as possible.

“I see it as a step forward for him but we now want to go as soon as possible to get a result to take us forward,” he said.

“I saw that the team is well organised defensively. A certain degree of uniformity is the basis for a successful game.

“The match in Dortmund is one on that the team can look forward to.”

Dortmund could be without Sebastian Kehl, after he suffered a foot injury against Anderlecht, as well as long-term absentees Henrikh Mkhitaryan (foot), Nuri Sahin (knee) and Marco Reus (ankle).