Consequences for coach Brancao? HSV women drop into relegation zone | OneFootball

Three consecutive home games at the start of 2026 were supposed to spark a turnaround for the HSV women. But after the end of this period, there was deep disillusionment.

On Sunday, in front of 3,162 spectators at the Volksparkstadion, they suffered a 1:3 defeat against RB Leipzig. In the first leg, they had managed one of their only two wins of the season so far. This time, too, the HSV women initially seemed on track. A fine solo effort from Lotta Wrede—one of the few players in the squad who undoubtedly brings higher Bundesliga quality—put them 1:0 ahead after 14 minutes.

Almost immediately in response, however, the visitors equalized with a long-range shot from former Hamburger Lisa Baum—a shot that was anything but unstoppable. In the second half, the increasingly dominant Leipzig side took full control of the match. A beautifully worked goal by Emilia Asgeirsdottir and another gift from the HSV women, gratefully accepted by Delice Boboy, sealed the eleventh defeat in their 17th Bundesliga match.

HSV Women: Breuer and Brancao Under Criticism

The results are those of a relegation candidate. The chance to pick up points in three consecutive home games against teams that are not among the top sides, and thus move closer to the lower midfield, went unused. Although there was a 2:1 win over SGS Essen at the start of the year—thanks to a questionable penalty in stoppage time—bitter and deserved defeats against Freiburg and now Leipzig followed.

Additionally, rivals Essen and Jena picked up points, so the HSV women slipped back to second-to-last place and now have the worst points average in the Bundesliga. Therefore, at least in public, the question is increasingly being asked about coach Liese Brancao, who has not managed to bring consistency to the team's performances. However, sporting director Saskia Breuer emphasized that a change on the sidelines is “not an option, absolutely not.” (via Abendblatt)

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Instead, she reiterated, as she has often done this season: “We have chosen a young, inexperienced team. That’s the path we’re taking, and that means accepting defeats as part of the process.” However, in the winter, Breuer took further action, signing six new players at Brancao’s request. There has been little improvement. Symbolic of this is Lea Paulick, who was actually supposed to bring stability between the posts. While she made some brilliant saves against Freiburg, she was directly involved in two goals conceded in the most recent defeat.

Due to the poorly constructed squad, Breuer is also coming under increased scrutiny. The discussions could intensify further if the HSV women head into the international break after two more weak performances in Hoffenheim and against Werder Bremen.

Photo: Getty Images

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