Season

Heading into a new week with renewed energy

The second home game of the 2025/26 season is on the horizon for HSV, as they take on 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday. The week of preparations began on Tuesday, with everyone making a combined effort to bring a refreshed energy into their work.

The defeat to an extremely strong opponent in Munich certainly hasn’t been brushed under the carpet. After all, the players and coach didn’t mince their words after the game. At the same time, it was clear to everyone that there was no time to rue the 5-0 loss to the German record champions, as a new challenge awaits them on Saturday. It proves to be an important game, as Merlin Polzin and his team want to take the next step against Heidenheim, both in terms of their performance and result.

For the first time this season, HSV play in the Bundesliga’s classic Saturday afternoon slot, however the game really starts with the team’s preparations, and these are set to begin on Tuesday. The Rothosen will arrive at the Volkspark at noon with training set to start at 3pm. Polzin has a lot of players available to him, including new signings and recent debutants Fabio Vieira and Luka Vuskovic. Having a lot of players available increases competition for places and strengthens the team, while also giving the coach a number of options to pick from.

Winger Jean-Luc Dompe steps up his training intensity this week, and the same should apply to Jordan Torunarigha. Both were absent in Munich having not fully recovered from knocks, as was right-back Giorgi Gocholeishvili, who has now served his suspension following his sending off against St Pauli. Deep-lying midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who was in the squad at the Allianz Arena but didn’t play, will also take important steps this week in terms of getting himself up to 100 percent fitness.

Having the whole week together is also important for the rest of the team and is a valuable asset for the coaching team. After the game in Munich, board member for sport Stefan Kuntz once again emphasised how important time and patience are during the phase, so that the team can get used to and adapt to the conditions in the Bundesliga. The training will be intense this week, as the team look to improve their game both going forward and in defence to prepare as well as possible for the challenge FCH present on Saturday.

Heidenheim travel to Hamburg still on zero points having lost their opening three matches: two at home to Wolfsburg and Dortmund as well as away to Leipzig. However, it’s worth noting that their opponents so far are often challenging at the top of the Bundesliga. 1. FC Heidenheim and their seasoned coach Frank Schmidt will travel to Hamburg on Saturday with two years’ more experience in the Bundesliga than HSV. This makes them a tough opponent who will demand everything from the Rothosen. Starting Tuesday, Merlin Polzin will prepare his team to be able to deal with this challenge together, as HSV look to kick-start their season by getting a first win under their belts.