Prior to the fierce rivalry match - Procession of admirers gathers.
Long before the match, the enthusiasts of the competing Hamburg teams headed to the Volksparkstadion.
Divided and supervised by a sizable police force, around 500 St. Pauli fans traveled by bike through Altona en route to Volkspark at 3 pm.
Half an hour later, an HSV fan march commenced from Stellingen S-Bahn station, heading toward Volksparkstadion, as per the police statement. The same authorities estimated that between 7,000-8,000 supporters were part of this procession.
A variety of pyrotechnics were lit in blue, white, and red. However, there were no significant issues initially.
Later on, approximately 2,000 St. Pauli spectators journeyed to the stadium from Bahrenfelder Trabrennbahn.
These fan groups, as they're not fond of each other, the police classified the event as high-risk.
This already passionate clash between the two city rivals will receive an added twist on Friday: if HSV were to win at Volksparkstadion, the Kiez's league leaders would rise to the Bundesliga.
Conversely, failure for the former top-flight titans HSV may lead to their descent into the second division.
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Source: www.bild.de