Smoke bombs raise derby security fears

Security will be tight for tomorrow afternoon’s Bundesliga derby between Hamburg and neighbours St Pauli after police found three smoke bombs at Hamburg’s stadium. Nearly 2,000 police officers are expected to keep an eye on the game after Hamburg’s...

Security will be tight for tomorrow afternoon’s Bundesliga derby between Hamburg and neighbours St Pauli after police found three smoke bombs at Hamburg’s stadium.

Nearly 2,000 police officers are expected to keep an eye on the game after Hamburg’s stadium was temporarily closed on Wednesday as three pyrotechnic bombs were found and removed by police after an extensive search.

The bombs would have flooded the arena with smoke and were found in the area of the stadium where St Pauli fans will be during the game.

Security has been stepped up at the stadium in the run-up to kick-off and sniffer dogs have been brought in by police.

There is no love lost between fans of the two clubs from the northern German city of Hamburg and all 57,000 tickets for tomorrow’s derby sold out long ago.

Hamburg are currently seventh in the German league, while St Pauli are 14th in the table.

Fixtures and results

Bundesliga

Played yesterday
B. Dortmund vs Schalke - 0-0

Today – 15.30
Cologne vs Bayern Munich
Hanover vs Wolfsburg
Mainz vs Werder Bremen
Nuremberg vs B. Leverkusen
Hoffenheim vs Kaiserslautern
B. M’gladbach vs Stuttgart - 18.30

Tomorrow
Hamburg vs St Pauli - 15.30
Freiburg vs E. Frankfurt - 17.30

Leading standings: B. Dortmund 51; B. Leverkusen 39; B. Munich, Mainz 36; Hanover 34; Freiburg 33; Hamburg 30; Hoffenheim 29.

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