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 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 23 | 9 | 31 |
| 2 | Karlsruher SCKarlsruher | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 29 |
| 3 | Hamburger SV | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 39 | 23 | 16 | 28 |
| 4 | Elversberg | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 28 |
| 5 | Magdeburg | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 28 |
| 6 | SC PaderbornSC Paderborn | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 28 |
| 7 | Hannover | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 27 |
| 8 | Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 26 |
| 9 | KaiserslauternKaiserslautern | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 26 |
| 10 | SV Darmstadt 98Darmstadt | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 24 |
| 11 | Nuremberg | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 30 | 1 | 22 |
| 12 | Hertha Berlin | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 22 |
| 13 | Schalke 04Schalke | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 33 | -1 | 20 |
| 14 | Greuther Furth | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 33 | -9 | 20 |
| 15 | Preussen Munster | 17 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 16 |
| 16 | SSV UlmUlm | 17 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 20 | -4 | 14 |
| 17 | Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 36 | -20 | 13 |
| 18 | Jahn RegensburgJahn | 17 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 39 | -30 | 11 |
| > 2.Bundesliga Full Table | |||||||||
