Season

"We have shown that we can play these games".

The top match of the 2. Bundesliga is on the agenda on Sunday: second against third in the table. Jonas Meffert talks about the away game against SC Paderborn.

The Rothosen have played 15 competitive games so far this season, which means 1,380 minutes including extra time in the DFB Pokal. The only player to reach this total is Jonas Meffert. The six-pointer in coach Tim Walter's team is a perennial favourite and an absolute constant: always starting, always playing through. And always absolutely reliable.

However, even Meffert could not prevent the first small dip in October after a very strong series of victories. Nothing fatil so far, but of course "Meffo" and his team mates are keen to keep that from growing as soon as possible. They will have the chance to do so on Sunday (30 October) when HSV face SC Paderborn in the top match of the 2. Liga. Second against third - actually the ideal stage to bounce back after three winless games in the league. Jonas Meffert talks about how this can be achieved in an interview with HSV.de.

Meffo, have you been able to quickly put the wild ending to the the home defeat against Magdeburg behind you and look ahead again?

Jonas Meffert: It still annoys me that we played so badly in the first half, that was our worst half of the entire season. But now in training, of course, we're looking ahead, we're moving on.

What does the working week look like? Do the coach's words and the way you work change after defeats?

The week after a defeat always looks different than when you have won two or three games in a row before. And especially after such a series of winless games as recently, the coaches naturally try to sharpen the senses to the maximum and get the basics back in. If we get our basic virtues like total willingness and the great intensity of our game back on the pitch, then we'll get back on track. We are working on that.

This weekend, against SC Paderborn, the top match, second against third. Is it perhaps even a little easier for your style of play in such games?

It might even be, in any case it will be a very cool and intense game that we are really looking forward to and in which we want to give 100 per cent and forget the Magdeburg game. We showed in Hannover, for example, that we can play these top games, even away from home. That's exactly what we want to build on.

Paderborn is the team with the most goals in the league. How can you stop the SCP attack?

For us, it's all about getting back into a better defensive position and defending better. We've simply conceded too many goals lately. Of course we're missing Bascho at the back, but that can't be an excuse. We have to get back to the point where every single player and we as a team work more aggressively against the ball and that we try to prevent goals against us with everything at our disposal. We all have to do better together again, then we can win in Paderborn. And that is the goal.