Between frustration and hope: three boosts for HSV | OneFootball

That one hit hard: The 0–5 thrashing by 1. FSV Mainz 05 shook HSV fans and club officials alike.

Almost overnight, the previously positive mood around the Volkspark changed completely. Anticipation and euphoria gave way to skepticism and pessimism. At least, that is the current impression.

And of course: The result against Mainz, and especially the manner of the performance, were deeply worrying. The start to the season has officially gone wrong, and the upcoming tasks will, if anything, be only marginally easier.

Even so, there are still aspects that should give HSV and its supporters reason for optimism – both with a view to the coming weeks and the season as a whole.

HSV are still in the process of finding themselves

Compared with the away game in Dortmund (0–2), Merlin Polzin made four changes to the starting lineup against Mainz. He also fielded no fewer than six new signings. Including Albert Grønbaek, who was signed permanently, the number was even seven. The trio of Zakaria El Ouahdi, David Möller Wolfe, and Fabio Vieira had only joined the team a few days before the match. And attacking hopeful Terem Moffi is still a long way from his best form after training for weeks only with OGC Nice’s second team. So one thing is clear: despite the big-name arrivals on paper, HSV in September 2026 are still a fragile unit. That obviously does not excuse a 90-minute no-show like the one against Mainz. But head coach Merlin Polzin also knows: “Of course we still need time to strengthen the connection further and to get into our routines.”

The parallels with last season are striking

Another reason for optimism is this: last year too, HSV made a terrible start to the season. After three Bundesliga matches, the Rothosen had just one point to their name and the exact same goal difference they have now after two matches: 0–7. Thirty-one matchdays and eight months later, the team then celebrated a comfortable survival with a nine-point cushion over the relegation playoff spot. Of course, no one in Hamburg should rely on things turning out that way every year. Even so, captain Nicolai Remberg is convinced: “We’ll grow into it, and then we’ll be back. This won’t break us.”

Photo: IMAGO

The arch-rivals as a model?

For the moment, the mood on the Elbe is rock bottom. Given their place at the bottom of the table and the fact that three of the four halves they have played so far this season looked like a sporting declaration of bankruptcy, that is hardly surprising at first. But Werder Bremen, of all clubs, know just how quickly the mood around a big football club can turn for the better again. After a complicated transfer window and a heavy opening defeat at SC Freiburg, all the alarm bells were already ringing on the Weser. But with a completely unexpected 3–1 win over RB Leipzig last weekend, the Green-Whites pulled off an emotional turnaround. HSV now face that very same opponent – and may well take their unloved rivals as an example.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.