“We will have to do a lot of defending”

It’s coming up to crunch time in the Bundesliga, with only six matches remaining of the 2025/26 season. Hamburger SV travel to VfB Stuttgart on Sunday (kick-off 17:30 CET) for matchday 29. In the reverse fixture, the Rothosen enjoyed one of the most dramatic moments of the season so far with a last-minute 2-1 win while down to ten men. This time, HSV face the reigning DFB-Pokal champions and current fourth-place side in Stuttgart. On Friday (10th April), head coach Merlin Polzin looked ahead to the game at the press conference and spoke in detail about …

…the squad situation: Unfortunately, we have a few players who will be unavailable: Luka Vušković has suffered a bruise to the knee and will miss the upcoming match. Albert Sambi Lokonga is also struggling with thigh problems and is very unlikely to make the squad. Jean-Luc Dompé is still out with foot issues, while Miro Muheim is suspended. Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit have taken the next steps in their rehabilitation but will not be options for the squad. The same applies to Bakery Jatta, who is also unlikely to be available. We are still waiting on Nicolas Capaldo, but we are optimistic that he will make it. Despite these absences, we don’t want to make any excuses. Some players will be missing, but with the help of the medical department, they will be ready again for the Nordderby. The rest of the group will travel to Stuttgart brimming with positive energy and ready to put in a strong performance.

…the opposition: Stuttgart play a very particular style of football. Back in the relegation play-offs against us, it was almost unfair that they were in that position at that stage of the season. They are a fantastic team with outstanding individual talent, a top coach and a very clear development pathway. We expect a side that will do everything they can to make up for the result in the first half of the season, or to prove that it was a one-off. We will have to do a lot of defending. They have the most dangerous left-hand side in the Bundesliga, and a striker who has been operating at a top level not only in Germany but also on the European stage. It will be a match where a great deal will depend on defending well, staying compact, and being more stable in transition moments and in duels. Those are the moments we are preparing for.

…preparation for facing VfB: We have carried out an intensive video analysis over several days. We are looking at everything in detail, both on an individual level and tactically as a team, and always with a focus on our own style of play. Three weeks ago, we played a side ranked similarly in the league to Stuttgart. We set out with a clear idea of what we wanted to do, but we were unable to sustain it over 90 minutes. That is our task for Sunday: we want to deliver another strong performance and ideally bring back more from Stuttgart than we did from Dortmund.

“It was one of the highlights of the season”

…the reverse fixture: It was one of the highlights of this season, and probably of recent years for HSV as well. To beat such a strong opponent – the reigning cup winners, representing Germany in European competition and once again challenging for Champions League places – in such dramatic fashion was something very special, especially with how emotional the scenes were at the Volksparkstadion. At the same time, I was very impressed by how VfB reacted to that bitter and surprising defeat. Their behaviour afterwards and the way they came across was excellent and left a strong impression on me.

…the return of Nicolai Remberg: Rambo is extremely important for us. His physicality has a huge impact on the team. He brings a great deal of energy. That skill in defending is not something everyone possesses, neither in our squad nor in football in general. He is a key part of our team, for that reason, and a major factor in why we are performing so well in the league, having the joint-best defensive record in the second half of the season and scoring the most goals on the counterattack, because he wins so many duels and turnovers.

…the role of Daniel Elfadli: He is definitely ready and has been working hard in recent weeks on the areas that may have led to slightly less game time recently. Beyond that, he is an extremely important point of contact for me in terms of leadership and the energy levels within the squad. He has a very positive outlook on life, which is hugely beneficial for the team. We have an honest dialogue. Daniel knows what has brought him to the point of playing Bundesliga football with HSV: hard work, commitment and dealing with setbacks. Sunday will be a special match for him in his home region. I am convinced he will play well, and he will likely spend a lot of time on the pitch.