DFB-Pokal: HSV’s long wait for a home tie continues | OneFootball

This Tuesday evening, HSV will play in the second round of the DFB-Pokal at 1. FC Heidenheim. The last cup match at Volkspark, however, lies far in the past.

It took place on 19.04.2022 – and it was a very special one. As a second division team, Hamburger SV had reached the semi-finals and hosted SC Freiburg. Despite a fantastic atmosphere, hopes for their first final appearance since their triumph in 1987 quickly faded. The composed team from Breisgau outplayed the sometimes very naïve Rothosen and were already leading 3-0 after just 35 minutes. Robert Glatzel managed a bit of consolation with a late goal shortly before the end.

Since then, HSV has played exclusively away from home, even though they always made it through the first round – which, as is well known, always means an away game for professional teams. Bayreuth, Leipzig, Essen, Bielefeld, Berlin, Meppen, Freiburg, Pirmasens, and now Heidenheim have been the Hanseatic destinations, who have only managed to get past the second round once in the last three seasons.

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HSV: Last Clash with Heidenheim Was Only a Few Weeks Ago

Back then, HSV squandered a golden opportunity for a memorable DFB-Pokal season. After hard-fought wins at Rot-Weiss Essen (4:3 after extra time) and Arminia Bielefeld (4:3 after penalties) – still the last home cup defeat for last season’s surprise finalists – the Rothosen were knocked out by Hertha BSC. They conceded last-minute goals in both regular time and extra time, and lost dramatically in the penalty shootout.

Had they advanced, 1. FC Kaiserslautern and 1. FC Saarbrücken would have been manageable tasks on the way to the final. However, HSV had to watch from home as the Palatinate team seized their chance and, after an impressive performance, narrowly lost 0-1 to Leverkusen in Berlin. Currently, the final seems a long way off. First, they have to overcome the hurdle of Heidenheim.

Photo: Getty Images

How tough the task can be was already shown in the league match, which HSV won somewhat luckily 2-1. According to coach Merlin Polzin, however, the recent encounter doesn’t play a major role: “In the cup, league affiliation doesn’t matter, nor does recent performance. In the cup, I don’t really care about the opponent. We want to advance.”

The step into the round of 16, which takes place in early December, could be sweetened by a prize of over 800,000 euros. In addition, there would be a chance for the first DFB-Pokal home game in more than three and a half years. A possibly good omen: Opponent Heidenheim has been knocked out in the second round in each of the past three seasons.

Photo: IMAGO

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