SVE with wind in their sails: Elversberg seeking to sting frontrunners HSV

Things continue on Friday evening: SV Elversberg are facing Hamburger SV in the venerable Volksparkstadion. This is a David versus Goliath encounter – or is it? Because the Saarland team have made a name for themselves in this second division season and could put up more of a fight against the table leaders than many people expect. This top game kicks off at 6:30 p.m.

Although a glance at the table seems to show a clear situation (HSV are top of the table and remain unbeaten at home), the SVE camp is still hugely excited about this game. Head coach Horst Steffen emphasises: 

Hamburger SV are a favourite for promotion, so someone we can measure ourselves against once again, which we are very much looking forward to. Getting to play against opponents like this in stadiums like these is still not something I take for granted. It is a gift to all of us, with an opportunity to show what we are capable of.

Full-strength squad after the international break

Elversberg have taken full advantage of the brief international break. Their national players have returned injury-free and will be fully available on Friday evening. This has upped the team’s excitement levels: ‘The boys are looking forward to this with huge excitement, it will be an interesting game’, Steffen says. However, they have huge respect for their opponents: 

Hamburg are not up there by accident. They have great lads and a high-quality squad. With their very strong attacking, it is also clear what we can expect and what we will have to defend against. I am expecting HSV to be very confident, but we want to head there and play just as confidently. That is the aim.

HSV on top form – star strikers return

Thus far, the Hamburg team have managed to throw off their infamous weak patch from the spring period. In a confident 3:0 away win against 1. FC Magdeburg, Ransford Königsdörffer demonstrated with a pair of goals how dangerous he is to opponents. Striker Davie Selke, who sits high up in the scorers’ list with 17 goals this season, is also returning to the team after a short period away due to injury. However, Königsdörffer (11 goals) and recently recovered Robert Glatzel (7 goals) are challenging him for top of the attacking pile. These are also joined by 18-year-old offensive gem Otto Stange, who has already scored twice in his time on the pitch.

HSV’s assistant coach Polzin praises the team’s harmony: ‘This is an absolutely top situation, not only thanks to the players’ sporting performances, but also and above all in terms of how they interact. There is a lot of high regard in their interactions. As a coach, I am very fortunate to work with players and people like this.’

But despite all of this euphoria, he remembers the first leg match, which did not go at all well for HSV: 

Of course, we on the coaching team have discussed the first leg match, because we understand from that what incredible quality we are up against. Elversberg have developed hugely last season and this season, they operate sustainably as a club, and play genuinely good football. They will pose major challenges for us. We want to show a different side at home in the Volkspark than we did in the first leg.

In fact, their first encounter of the season was a huge surprise: Elversberg defeated them 4:2 at their home stadium on Kaiserlinde in October 2024. This result should provide plenty of motivation for the table leaders.

Clear mutual respect

However, SVE’s coach Steffen understands that things will be much harder this time around: ‘If you count up the top players at HSV, we will not be finishing things off so quickly. They are all very good. If Hamburg play well on Friday, things will be very difficult for us. We need to have a good day and for HSV to have a bad one – and then we might get somewhere.’

And in fact, an Elversberg victory could shake up the race for promotion spots. HSV are currently eight points ahead of SVE. A three-point win could reduce the Saarland team to only five points behind, giving them a realistic chance of gaining promotion. A defeat would increase the gap to eleven points – most likely impossible to make up in the last seven games of the season. ‘If we lose on Friday, the championship is down the drain’, Steffen said with a smile.

SVE still guided by down-to-earth attitude

But although a win against HSV would be the next milestone, Elversberg are remaining realistic. SVE sports director Ole Book emphasised that the club should not lose its down-to-earth attitude: ‘It is realistic for us to have a good, sound second-division team and be able to delight spectators with how we play football. We are doing that already.’

Horst Steffen has a similar view, but he would of course love to see a headline after the game describing euphoric Elversberg fans. When asked what headline he would choose, he replied with a wink: ‘SVE win in Hamburg’. The match in Volksparkstadion therefore promises to be a hugely exciting one. The hosts want to consolidate their position at the top of the table and get their own back for their defeat in the first leg. SVE, on the other hand, have nothing to lose – but plenty to gain. They have proven time and again that they can defeat favourite teams in large stadiums. So why not on Friday evening too?