HSV are currently sixth in the Bundesliga, just four points off the final Champions League slot.
"When we began this season, our opponents laughed at us," ESPN quotes Van der Vaart as saying.
"Now they take us seriously - that is the difference."
Hamburg are away at Hannover in the Bundesliga this afternoon.
Restore Data
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | FC Koln | 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 25 | 11 | 40 |
| 2 | Hamburger SV | 21 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 47 | 28 | 19 | 38 |
| 3 | KaiserslauternKaiserslautern | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 31 | 8 | 38 |
| 4 | Magdeburg | 21 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 44 | 33 | 11 | 35 |
| 5 | Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 34 |
| 6 | SC PaderbornSC Paderborn | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 34 | 28 | 6 | 34 |
| 7 | Hannover | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 33 |
| 8 | Elversberg | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 30 | 8 | 32 |
| 9 | Nuremberg | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 37 | 2 | 31 |
| 10 | Karlsruher SCKarlsruher | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 39 | 40 | -1 | 30 |
| 11 | Greuther Furth | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 41 | -10 | 26 |
| 12 | SV Darmstadt 98Darmstadt | 21 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 38 | 36 | 2 | 25 |
| 13 | Hertha Berlin | 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 31 | 34 | -3 | 25 |
| 14 | Schalke 04Schalke | 21 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 37 | 40 | -3 | 24 |
| 15 | Preussen Munster | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 30 | -6 | 20 |
| 16 | Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 39 | -19 | 18 |
| 17 | SSV UlmUlm | 21 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 17 |
| 18 | Jahn RegensburgJahn | 21 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 47 | -34 | 14 |
| > 2.Bundesliga Full Table | |||||||||
