Level with Bayern: HSV top of the Bundesliga in this stat! | OneFootball

Things are going great in the 2026 calendar year! HSV is currently one of the most in-form teams in the entire Bundesliga.

Their latest record reads as follows: a 3-2 win against 1. FC Union Berlin, nine points from the last five games, ninth place in the table. But why have the "Rothosen" become so successful after initial difficulties?

Since their promotion, coach Merlin Polzin and his assistant Loic Favé have radically changed the team’s playing system. Gone is the controlled possession style from their second division days, replaced by a clearly structured transition game. The results speak for themselves: only one goal conceded from a counterattack is the best in the league. At the same time, with nine goals scored from quick counterattacks, they are tied with FC Bayern for first place.

But there’s more behind their success than just speed and defensive discipline. As Bild reports, HSV has a clear “Vieira order.” After winning the ball, the first look ideally goes to the center. That’s where the most technically skilled player in the squad should be found. Vieira’s composure on the ball, his technical precision, and his sense of timing make him the ideal link between defense and attack.

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Baumgart praises HSV’s counterattacks

HSV’s successful transition play is anything but a coincidence. Two days before every match, the team specifically trains counterattack situations on a full-sized pitch. This creates automatisms and trust. “They do it really well. Not every team is that good at it. Not just because they switch so quickly, but because the passes actually reach their targets,” Union coach Steffen Baumgart had to admit after the 2-3 defeat at the Volkspark.

Before that, his former club had scored twice from counterattacks. The temporary 2-1 lead was also the result of a quick counter. Previously, Union’s Andreij Ilic missed a great chance to put Berlin ahead, and HSV ruthlessly exploited the resulting disorganization.

And even though he didn’t register a goal or assist against the “Eisernen,” Vieira once again had a hand in things. Just like in the 1-1 equalizer, when he started the Hamburg counterattack with a determined sprint.

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