Before the home game against VfB Stuttgart, HSV is under significant pressure. An unexpected last-minute victory by their rivals adds extra tension.
A special week begins today for Hamburger SV: It kicks off with the challenging Bundesliga match against the in-form VfB Stuttgart. The Hoeneß protégés arrive at Volkspark as fifth in the table and reigning DFB Cup winners. A 4-0 win in the Europa League against Go Ahead Eagles has further boosted the Swabians’ confidence.
It’s no coincidence that HSV coach Merlin Polzin made it clear at the pre-match press conference how highly he rates the upcoming opponent. “The development since the relegation play-off, with the cup win and repeated qualification for international competitions, is extraordinary,” he explained. He is particularly impressed by VfB’s playing identity. “As a neutral observer, it’s a lot of fun to watch their games and take away some ideas.”
This makes HSV’s game plan to break down the favorites all the clearer. “We need a clear plan that we’ve worked out over the week. And we need a different level of energy than we showed at the start of the game in Augsburg,” Polzin emphasized.
The Volksparkstadion is also expected to play a role. After all, the Hanseatic team has earned seven of their nine Bundesliga points at home.
Additionally, special attention is being paid to the previously sluggish attack, which, according to Polzin, is showing progress. “Statistically, you can see quite well that we’re becoming more dangerous and are repeatedly getting into promising finishing situations,” said the coach. Although “many small things” have recently prevented even better results, the team has been working on exactly that. And so Polzin sums up what really matters on Sunday: “The main thing is that we play a successful game. That’s our focus.”
In fact, such a game has become almost essential due to Heidenheim’s surprising 2-1 win at Union Berlin. Thanks to the last-minute success of their relegation rival, HSV is now only one point ahead of the relegation spot.
