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Bundesliga action returns following the long international break. The Rothosen have had 16 days in which not only did they secure a convincing 2–0 victory in a friendly against FC Copenhagen, but they also worked intensively on fine-tuning their game. “We’ve made good use of the past few weeks to make ourselves more versatile. We wanted to work on our combinations and build a better understanding of one another. The time has been very valuable in that respect,” explained HSV head coach Merlin Polzin at the press conference ahead of Saturday’s away fixture against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (10 October, live on HSVnetradio from 3.15 pm).
Once again, the Rothosen will be able to count on extraordinary support from the away end. Last season, 15,000 HSV fans in Hoffenheim created an atmosphere that felt more like a home game at the Volksparkstadion than an away fixture. “If HSV aren’t playing at the Volkspark, then the Volkspark comes to Hoffenheim,” a ZDF commentator summed up the extraordinary fan turnout in the match highlights last December. On the pitch, however, things were less encouraging: HSV suffered a 4–1 defeat. Now, 301 days later, the Rothosen are determined to do better at the same venue and once again draw on the tremendous support of their fans. The match preview looks at how HSV intend to trouble Hoffenheim, which players are available and how the hosts’ poor start to the season should be assessed.
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The squad
First, the good news: Terem Moffi and Yussuf Poulsen are back in contention for a place in the squad. Moffi missed the friendly against FC Copenhagen (2–0) with knee problems, while Poulsen had to be substituted after just 20 minutes after picking up an injury. Centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw has also returned after recovering from muscular problems. The Belgian made his comeback against Copenhagen, playing 77 minutes. “The international break was important not just for me, but for the whole team, because we had several weeks of training in which to develop our understanding even further,” the 27-year-old explained in an interview with the HSV.de editorial team earlier this week.
HSV will, however, be without Patson Daka and Albert Grønbæk on Saturday. Both returned from international duty carrying injuries. There are also doubts over the availability of Zakaria El Ouahdi, who is suffering from a cold. “We’ll have to wait and see whether he’ll be able to play,” Polzin explained.
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The opposition
TSG Hoffenheim have made one of the poorest starts to a Bundesliga season in their history. After four matchdays, the Kraichgau side have just three points to their name. At the same stage of a Bundesliga campaign, they have only recorded a lower tally once before: in 2015–16 under Markus Gisdol, when they had just one point.
Christian Ilzer’s side have managed just one win, beating VfB Stuttgart 2–1 on Matchday 3. Their other league fixtures ended in defeat: 3–2 against 1. FC Köln, 3–2 against Borussia Dortmund and, most recently, 3–1 against SC Paderborn. Including their 2–0 defeat away to OFI Crete in the Europa League, Hoffenheim have lost four of their last five competitive matches.
HSV head coach Polzin is not allowing himself to be misled by those results, however. After all, Hoffenheim were one of only two teams, alongside RB Leipzig, against whom the Rothosen failed to pick up a single point last season. As mentioned above, HSV lost 4–1 in the Kraichgau, while the return fixture at the Volksparkstadion ended in a 2–1 defeat.
“In the first meeting, they showed us our limitations in every department. The scoreline was closer in the return fixture, but there was still a clear difference in the authority and decisiveness of the two sides’ performances,” Polzin stressed.
The challenge on Saturday is therefore a considerable one. “Our task will be to commit fully in certain moments. If the game follows its normal course, it will be very difficult for us. We have to try to disrupt their rhythm and make life uncomfortable for them. Hoffenheim are very versatile, have tremendous attacking power and are excellent at overloading areas of the pitch. That makes it extremely difficult for opponents to get to grips with them. At the same time, they are a team that presses with incredible intensity. We need to be very clear in our approach and play in a way that differs somewhat from our ideal vision of HSV football,” explained the 35-year-old, for whom last season’s encounters were the first against Hoffenheim in his managerial career.
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Das Stadionerlebnis
As was the case last season, the SNP Arena is expected to be firmly in Hamburg’s hands again on Saturday. Last December, 15,000 HSV supporters filled around half of the stadium, which has a capacity of 30,150. This makes the SNP Arena one of the smaller grounds in the league. Only three Bundesliga venues have lower capacities: 1. FC Union Berlin’s Stadion An der Alten Försterei (22,012), SC Paderborn’s Home Deluxe Arena (15,000) and SV Elversberg’s Ursapharm-Arena an der Kaiserlinde (9,307). Meanwhile, Hoffenheim’s average stadium occupancy last season was 84 per cent, ranking 17th in the league.
The images from last December helped persuade new signing Bornauw to join HSV during the summer transfer window. “That’s one of the reasons why I joined HSV. This kind of support is what sets a traditional club apart. It’s an incredible feeling when you’re playing away but feel as though you’re at home. As a player, it gives you so much energy and motivation,” he said.
The returning defender is therefore eagerly anticipating the home-like atmosphere in the away end. More than 10,000 HSV supporters are expected to make the trip.
The Bundesliga is finally back after the international break.
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