“I’m looking forward to seeing a very energetic team”

For the first time this season, Hamburger SV will kick off at the traditional Bundesliga time of 15:30 CEST on a Saturday. As part of matchday 4, the Rothosen welcome a familiar face from their 2. Bundesliga days to the Volksparkstadion, with Heidenheim having proven over the past two seasons that they belong at this level. After ten meetings in the second tier, the two clubs now go head-to-head in the top flight for the first time. On Thursday afternoon (18th September), HSV head coach Merlin Polzin gave his thoughts at the pre-match press conference. The 34-year-old spoke in detail about…

…the squad: We don’t have any major injuries, which is very positive. Yussuf Poulsen and Jordan Torunarigha are still in recovery training and won’t be available at the weekend. The same goes for Silvan Hefti, who had to stop training early with hip problems. Gui Ramos has just become a father for the first time and will only rejoin us on matchday, so he’s notan option for the squad. On the plus side, Giorgi Gocholeishvili returns from suspension, and Jean-Luc Dompé and Immanuel Pherai have both been training fully again and are back in contention.

…training this week: We analysed the Bayern game with the team quite quickly and then had an intense and really good week on the training ground. I can see how hungry the lads are, and the competition for places is pushing us to be better as a team. Step by step, we’re finding the right combinations between the new players and those who’ve been here longer. We’ve made a big step forward this week in that regard. I’m looking forward to seeing a very energetic team that’s determined to show a different side to themselves.

…excitement ahead of the game: Saturday, 15:30, at the Volkspark – that’s what the Bundesliga is all about. We’re really excited to finally play at this kick-off time. We want to win this game at all costs and we know we’ll have to be at our very best to do it. It’s something we want to tackle together with our fans. In Munich they supported us brilliantly and sent out a real statement after the game, which gave the team a huge lift.

“Our recent signings will definitely help our attacking play”

…the opposition: Frank Schmidt has been Heidenheim’s coach for 18 years and has done an incredible job. At HSV, we have the utmost respect for the work he’s done and the journey the club has been on. We’ve had plenty of tough and intense battles with Heidenheim in the past, and it’s always clear to see how they want to play. They act with great unity as a club and as a team, and they’ve continued to grow since promotion. We know it’ll be a tough test.

…his team’s attacking play: There’s no question that we still want to improve our general patterns of play and the link-up play between our players. We want to create more and better chances. It’s getting better every day. This is still a very young squad going through the process we started in pre-season. What gives me real confidence is how the lads are working. We’ve also added a lot of individual quality with our recent signings, which will definitely help our attacking play. Of course, we want to score goals – we were the most prolific side in the 2. Bundesliga last season. Now we’re in one of Europe’s top leagues, where creating chances is naturally harder. But the daily progress we’re making gives me a good feeling.