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 | SC PaderbornSC Paderborn | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 24 |
| 2 | Hannover | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 22 |
| 3 | FC Koln | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 21 |
| 4 | Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 21 |
| 5 | Karlsruher SCKarlsruher | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 20 |
| 6 | Hamburger SV | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 19 |
| 7 | Elversberg | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 19 |
| 8 | Nuremberg | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 18 |
| 9 | Magdeburg | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 18 |
| 10 | KaiserslauternKaiserslautern | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 17 |
| 11 | Hertha Berlin | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 17 |
| 12 | SV Darmstadt 98Darmstadt | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 16 |
| 13 | Greuther Furth | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 13 |
| 14 | Schalke 04Schalke | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 12 |
| 15 | Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 12 |
| 16 | Preussen Munster | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 20 | -5 | 11 |
| 17 | SSV UlmUlm | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 10 |
| 18 | Jahn RegensburgJahn | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 32 | -27 | 7 |
| > 2.Bundesliga Full Table | |||||||||
