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 | Holstein Kiel | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 60 | 34 | 26 | 61 |
| 2 | St Pauli | 30 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 56 | 33 | 23 | 60 |
| 3 | Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 64 | 35 | 29 | 55 |
| 4 | Hamburger SV | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 55 | 42 | 13 | 49 |
| 5 | Karlsruher SCKarlsruher | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 61 | 45 | 16 | 46 |
| 6 | Hannover | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 52 | 38 | 14 | 45 |
| 7 | Hertha Berlin | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 62 | 51 | 11 | 44 |
| 8 | SC PaderbornSC Paderborn | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 46 | 49 | -3 | 43 |
| 9 | Greuther Furth | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 43 | -3 | 42 |
| 10 | Elversberg | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 44 | 52 | -8 | 40 |
| 11 | Nuremberg | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 56 | -18 | 37 |
| 12 | Magdeburg | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 46 | -4 | 36 |
| 13 | Schalke 04Schalke | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 46 | 56 | -10 | 36 |
| 14 | Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 33 | 41 | -8 | 34 |
| 15 | Wehen WiesbadenWiesbaden | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 32 | 41 | -9 | 32 |
| 16 | Hansa RostockHansa Rostock | 30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 27 | 50 | -23 | 31 |
| 17 | KaiserslauternKaiserslautern | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 46 | 59 | -13 | 30 |
| 18 | VfL OsnabruckOsnabruck | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 27 | 60 | -33 | 24 |
| > 2.Bundesliga Full Table | |||||||||
