HSV: the three biggest winners from the start of the season | OneFootball

HSV’s first league matches caused major problems. Even so, a few individual players still managed to stand out positively.

Up until the hard-fought 2–1 win over 1. FC Köln, however, the discussions mainly revolved around the defensive instability caused by a very shaky back three, the lack of threat in attack, and the many new signings in the starting eleven. These were unavoidable, as the Hanseatic side had previously looked disastrous at times and, after three defeats with a goal difference of 0:12, found themselves bottom of the table.

Key players such as Nicolai Remberg, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Nicolás Capaldo, who bounced back against Köln, were also going through a dip in form. But the first five competitive matches also produced a few bright spots. Alongside new signing Zakaria El Ouahdi, who has what it takes to become a fan favorite, and the ever-committed David Møller Wolfe, some players who had already been part of the squad for longer also impressed.

HSV: Heuer Fernandes solidifies his status

“Groundhog Day” is an expression used to describe a situation that keeps repeating itself. With that thought, Daniel Heuer Fernandes could have gone into his eighth year at HSV. Once again, despite strong previous performances, the goalkeeper had to fight for the number one spot. After already outlasting Julian Pollersbeck, who is currently training with the reserves, Sven Ulreich, Matheo Raab, and Daniel Peretz, the next highly rated challenger arrived in Sander Tangvik, who made a big statement in Leverkusen at the end of last season.

The Norwegian – a regular member of the squad for the World Cup quarter-finalists – was only given the cup match against Verl. In league play, Heuer Fernandes got the nod and had to pick the ball out of his net twelve times in just 270 minutes. However, he was not chiefly responsible for the flood of goals conceded and even prevented an even heavier defeat in Dortmund.

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Against Köln, the 33-year-old, who only signed an extension until 2028 this summer, stood out by denying them on several occasions to keep his side from falling behind. His reflex save from a close-range header by Thijs Dallinga in particular remains memorable. Just a few minutes later, Capaldo scored the opener and paved the way for Hamburg’s much-needed breakthrough. Without the once again excellent Heuer Fernandes, who solidified his status as the first-choice goalkeeper, it likely would not have happened.

Louis Lemke: Established right away

If one had to name a winner of preseason, Louis Lemke’s name would undoubtedly have been in the conversation. The 16-year-old then underlined that his convincing displays in the friendlies were no flash in the pan. In Verl, he made his debut in the starting eleven and immediately provided an assist as well as a goal, meaning Lemke became the youngest scorer in a competitive match in the club’s history and contributed to the final 3–0 scoreline.

Just a week later, he was allowed to prove himself at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion – one of the biggest stages in German football, with more than 81,000 seats. The left-back also put in a solid showing there, not limiting himself to his defensive duties but increasingly making his mark going forward as well. Accordingly, even Sky pundit Lothar Matthäus had words of praise for Hamburg’s breakout star.

Photo: IMAGO

Despite those impressive performances, he lost his starting spot to Møller Wolfe, newly loaned in from Wolverhampton, got only a few minutes against Mainz, and was left out entirely in Leipzig. Instead, Lemke picked up match practice with the Regionalliga side. But he quickly announced his return in the Bundesliga and, coming off the bench against Köln, played his part in the first win of the season, underlining that the super talent still has an important role to play in Polzin’s plans.

For Poulsen, it’s far from over

The fact that Yussuf Poulsen also plays an important role was not necessarily foreseeable before the season. Too often since arriving in the summer of 2025, his body had held him back. So it seemed only logical that the Dane, who featured in just 16 of 37 competitive matches, had to hand the captain’s armband over to Remberg. Thanks to a carefully managed workload, however, he stayed healthy throughout preseason and went into the campaign fully fit.

At first, Poulsen had to slot in behind Patson Daka before being handed his first start on matchday three at his old stomping ground in Leipzig. There, the striker barely made any real impact and had to come off at half-time. The following weekend, he returned to his role off the bench, this time with much greater success.

Photo: IMAGO

Poulsen came on for Terem Moffi, who is still taking a little time to adjust to the Bundesliga, and left his mark on the home match against 1. FC Köln. Less than five minutes after being brought on, he scored the crucial 2–0. It was one of the easier tasks for the veteran, who brings the experience of 251 Bundesliga appearances.

Even more impressive was his display outside the penalty area. Poulsen led the press and served as a target man in possession. Time and again, he shielded the ball against multiple Köln players, shoved the opposing center-backs aside with authority, and also won a few free kicks. If the Poulsen some observers had already written off can maintain this form, it is hard to imagine the starting eleven without him.

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