"We owe ourselves a win" - HSV preview

Things are not going to plan for TSG, having collected six points from nine games. Next up: Hamburger SV come to town on Friday night under the floodlights. Markus Gisdol and Kevin Volland look ahead to the clash.

Markus Gisdol on...

...the opposition:

In comparison with the last two years, HSV have clearly found a lot more stability. Even though their recent results have not been so good, they go into every game showing both determination and aggression. They’ve found themselves as a team and are especially solid at the back. We need to stay well organised for the whole 90 minutes and show a different side to our game.

...the current situation:

The current situation is a new one for me; it was more difficult when I started out here, because I had a lot less time back then. The media have had a lot to say recently, but I’m trying to shut it all out and prepare my team as best I can for the game on Friday. The team have a point to prove so I’m confident we’ll be able to get a win. My coaching staff and I are devoting all our time and energy into making this a possibility, day in, day out.

We did a lot of things differently in pre-season and we’re sure we can develop a strong team. At the moment it’s not going as well as we’d hoped. The situation is not great by any means. Sometimes we’d like to see quicker impacts from our new signings, but we’re giving them the necessary time.

Kevin Volland on...

...the current situation:

Of course we’re disappointed as a team. We’ve not got enough points and have not been consistent. We haven’t shown our true colours yet. We want to get out of this situation. We owe our fans and ourselves a win. We’re training really well, but aren’t performing in the games. We’re definitely not lacking in desire. We’re all professional footballers and always want to win.

We had a tough game schedule to start the season and didn’t do well. We’re still lacking in self-confidence. When it’s not going to plan, it can soon become a psychological issue. You suddenly begin to worry about the final result in 70th minute. We need to try and keep up the tempo in these stages of the game. Thinking too much about the result is not helpful. We’re second bottom, and had expected much better of ourselves. So we have to pull our finger out and get our knees dirty. Covering lots of ground and battling are the fundamental aspects of our game that we need to show in order for everything else to come into place.

Previous meetings:

TSG’s record against HSV is a positive one - six wins, five defeats and three draws. Only one of the last five encounters has ended in defeat for Hoffenheim, which came in May 2013; seven days before the ‘Miracle of Dortmund’. Since then, there have been three wins and a draw. Each of the last two home games ended 3-0 to TSG.

The opponents’ form:

HSV have collected five points from their last five games, scoring only once. Hamburg are struggling in front of goal, while their defence is holding out well. Bruno Labbadia’s side have only managed to score eight goals so far this season. Only Werder Bremen and FC Ingolstadt have a lower tally.

Key battles:

They are unlikely to go head-to-head on Saturday, but the duel between goalkeepers Oliver Baumann and René Adler could determine the outcome of the game. TSG keeper Baumann has been graded at a B in the fan magazine "Kicker" and is in the list of Top 5 Keepers. Adler, having recovered from a shoulder injury, made his return against Leverkusen and impressed from the start, keeping the game at 0-0 and earning the point for his team.