Bundesliga opener vs BVB: what HSV coach Merlin Polzin says | OneFootball

It’s not just the fans of BVB and HSV who are looking forward to this clash. When Borussia Dortmund host Hamburger SV in the opening match of the 64th Bundesliga season, two of Germany’s most popular traditional clubs will face off. “Dortmund are a top opponent with a special stadium,” HSV head coach Merlin Polzin (35) is already raving about the trip to Signal Iduna Park.

After seven long years in the 2. Bundesliga, the Hanseatic side returned to the top flight in the summer of 2025. With 38 points, Hamburg ultimately finished in 13th place — nine points ahead of Wolfsburg in the relegation playoff spot.

The first match after promotion took the Red Shorts to Mönchengladbach. Polzin’s team returned to Hamburg with a 0-0 draw against Borussia. For the second year in a row, the North Germans will begin the season away from home. Once again, a Borussia side will be the opponent — though this time from Dortmund. “Of course, we would have preferred to start the season with a home game,” Polzin said regretfully on the HSV website. Nevertheless, he said he is “really looking forward to this duel.”

Exciting clash last season

Last season, BVB won 3-2 at home after a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down. “It was one of the matches that stayed with the coaching staff and the team for quite a while,” Polzin recalled. “We played an incredible first half in which everything we had planned worked out,” he said, remembering the strong performance from the visitors from the Elbe. Philip Otele (27) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (26) had given Hamburg a 2-0 lead.

Photo: IMAGO

After the break, Ramy Bensebaini (31), with two penalties, and Serhou Guirassy (30) turned the match around. “In the second half, we felt the opponent’s quality and the force of the stadium,” Polzin recalled, while already sending a warning toward Dortmund: “Now we want to do better.”

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