Hamburger SV are on the verge of a return to the Bundesliga, a league in which they were a founding member and the only club to have remained in the top tier for its entire history, until 2018.
Since then, HSV have flirted with promotion, finishing either third or fourth on every occasion.
However, this season finally looks to be the one where their return is secured, with the German club needing only eight points from the final four league games to guarantee their return.
According to WhoScored, they are the fourth-highest-scoring team from set pieces, with 13 of their 65 league goals (20%) coming from dead balls.
Who knows, maybe set-pieces will push HSV back into the top flight of German football.
This tactical analysis will focus on their success from corner kicks, which has seen them score nine goals, a joint league high.
This set-piece analysis will examine Merlin Polzin’s tactics during set pieces, with a particular focus on how they attack the near post through a range of structured and well-rehearsed methods.
We will also analyse the different ways Hamburger create threats in the box, as well as highlight the potential limitations and areas for further improvement in their routines.
One key factor in this set-piece analysis is how individual players use intelligent movement and timing to gain separation from defenders, even in crowded and compact areas.
Through a combination of decoy runs, screening actions, and positional rotations, Hamburger consistently generate high-quality chances from dead-ball situations, even when opponents are prepared for their routines.
Hamburger SV Attacking The Near Post
Hamburger are a dangerous side due to the fact they have different ways of hurting the opponent, and are fluid in switching the different zones they attack.
When attempting to win the first contact, they use screens to prevent defenders from moving into the zones they are targeting.
In the example below, when targeting the near post, we can see two attackers setting screens on the zonal defenders, creating an open space in the area highlighted.
With screens, there is only so much space that can be created, and precise delivery into the zone is still required; otherwise, as in the example below, the misplaced cross can be dealt with by a different defender.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
An alternative to using screens is to use smart movements to reach the near post unmarked.
This is possible by starting in the back half of the six-yard box, in the shadow of every zonal marker, whose orientation is facing towards the ball.
From the defender’s shadow, the attacker can accelerate into the near post areas before the defenders realise the movement is happening, and arrive in the space before the opponents, winning the first contact.
When the space is available, as seen in the clip below, this is a common solution.
In other instances, a decoy run is made to draw near-post defenders away from the area, making this blindside sprint possible.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
This third method links some of the previous tools used to create space at the near-post areas.
Firstly, the player highlighted in white moves towards the near post.
This run must be made before the cross is made.
By making the movement early, the zonal defender has to decide: either track the run and leave his zone, or stay in his zone and leave a player in a dangerous position.
It is natural and right for the defender to track the run, in case of a perfect cross, creating a free header from within six yards.
By leaving his zone, the defender increases the space between himself and the next zonal defender behind him.
The next zonal defender should come over to cover the space, but from his perspective, there is no need to, as there is no danger.
This is thanks to the clever movement of the player highlighted in green, who makes his move on the blind side, allowing him to enter the space created without being heard or seen by the zonal defender, who should be responsible for doing so.
In the split-second moments, there is little time to recover from mistakes, so the yard of space that the attacker can create is enough to help him maintain that space until the ball does, and win the first contact.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
One final tool used to create space for their attackers is a variant of the screen.
However, instead of using screens on the zonal defenders, Hamburger also uses screens on man markers, allowing an attacker to enter dangerous zones unopposed.
They often try to create 2v1 situations, where there is a spare attacker who can be used solely to block, allowing the target player to reach dangerous areas unmarked.
This is referred to as a floating screen, where the player setting the screen is free to move and react to changes in the opponent’s marking structure, float around the target player who is meant to be protected, and set the screen when the timing is right.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
Back Post Success
Sometimes, from the near post, the angle can be tough to finish from, so it is essential that, while the first contact is won, players arrive in different areas where the attempt on goal is more likely to result in a goal.
While everyone’s focus turns to the near post, it is common for the back post to be left unmarked, and so Hamburger attempt to have players arriving at the back post zones for rebounds or other opportunities in the second phase.
Again, in these clips, we see the 2v1 around the penalty spot create an opportunity for the target player to be left open, who can arrive at the back post for the second ball.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
One of the more sophisticated routines that Polzin has used is to aim directly for the back post for the first contact.
There are many elements involved in this routine, which has been used numerous times to create danger, though it hasn’t resulted in many goals.
Firstly, in the man marking situation, different teams use different numbers.
Still, Hamburger’s structure of using six players to attack the box always ensures that a 2v1 situation can be created around the penalty spot.
The other four attackers always start in and around the six-yard box, and these are the priority for defenders to mark, which allows Hamburger to nearly always have this 2v1 advantage around the penalty spot.
The target player, highlighted in green, can always reach the back post with some separation, though the space is dependent on teammates creating it with their screens.
With the target attacker free to arrive at the back post, the focus shifts to ensuring the back post area is clear for the attacker to enter.
This is achieved through two primary methods.
Firstly, the other attackers who are marked start in the back post area.
By starting in that area, other defenders occupy that zone, giving the defending sides a false sense of security.
It seems the back post has defensive presence, though the defenders in that area show no interest in protecting the zone, focusing solely on the attackers.
We can see the two attackers, highlighted in white, moving towards the near post area solely to draw the defenders away from the back post.
The remaining free attackers, in this case two players, position themselves between the back post zone and the nearest zonal defenders.
This allows them to set screens, preventing the opponents from accessing the back post.
They set these screens from the blind side of the opponents, ensuring the defenders don’t expect them and making it harder for them to evade the attempts.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
In the instance when the opposition had enough markers to prevent the 2v1 from being available, Hamburger have improvised by then using an attacker from outside the box to arrive in the back post.
Everything else is almost identical, and the principle of a free player arriving at the back post also remains, with the only difference being in the position from where the run starts, and also the player who is arriving.
This is not the optimal solution, but with the player arriving from outside the box, it increases the chance of him being able to ghost in at the back post.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
One tool I believe Hamburger SV needs to utilise more is goalkeeper blocking.
Many of these corners, aimed towards the back post, travel in the air for long periods, giving goalkeepers multiple opportunities to come out and claim them, as has happened on some occasions.
However, blocking the goalkeeper also gives another huge benefit.
In instances where opponents are spread quite thin, leaving players at both posts and the zones near them due to Hamburger’s threat, the middle of the penalty area can sometimes be left undermanned.
Usually, a goalkeeper can be left almost alone and trusted to control the area inside the six-yard box, especially between both posts.
But when teams are naive, or with a man down, and the centre of the six-yard box is sparsely protected, it can be vulnerable to a direct cross into that area.
The clip below shows how easy it can be to create a dangerous chance, as long as you can prevent the goalkeeper from intercepting the delivery.
Once the goalkeeper is out of the equation, there is a 1v1 situation in the six-yard box.
Through individual craft, a striker should be expected to win this battle, and it becomes even easier when the opponent has no intention of attacking the ball.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) April 20, 2025
Conclusion
Hamburger’s approach to attacking corners is a strong example of how structure and spontaneity can co-exist.
By layering their routines with screens, smart movement, and positional rotations, they force defenders to react rather than dictate.
Their use of the near post as a manipulation zone — not just a target — is especially impressive, opening up opportunities at the far post or central areas.
While there’s still room for improvement, particularly in managing the goalkeeper’s ability to claim aerial deliveries, the foundations are clearly in place.
With continued refinement, Hamburger SV’s set-piece routines could become a consistent source of goals rather than just moments of threat.
