In the Champions League, VfB Stuttgart have won both their games. One of nine teams on a maximum six points in the mammoth 36-team league, they sit near the top. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, among others, are worse off than Sebastian Hoeneß's side.
The Bundesliga has been a different story. Stuttgart have lost four of their six games, including three of the last four. Fixtures against Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have been tough, but they have also taken nothing from TSG Hoffenheim and now HSV.
"Of course it's a shame, but we have to admit that we're not a top team at the moment," Germany international Deniz Undav told Sky. "We're missing a lot of what has set us apart over the past two or three years."
Asked what those things were, Stuttgart's captain said: "In previous years, we still managed to win games like this and put our chances away. This year we're finding that difficult," Undav said of the game in Hamburg. "We also fade, especially in the second half. We really have to work on that to get back up the table. If we don't, it will be a very, very tough season."
Seven shots, no goal: Undav luckless against HSV
Despite HSV's absences, VfB Stuttgart need not have lost. Undav is still waiting for his first Bundesliga goal this season. He had seven shots and recorded an xG figure of 0.61 on his own.
"We wanted to win and had plenty of chances, even if they weren't the really clear-cut ones. Ultimately, we have to come away with a draw; then no one can complain," Undav summed up. "It was an open end-to-end contest at the finish, and we can't allow that. But there's nothing we can do now; we have to look ahead."
HSV won that end-to-end contest through a late wonder goal from Miro Muheim, whose impressive shot from distance gave the Hamburg side their third consecutive win after a dreadful start of three defeats and a 0-12 goal tally.
What did VfB Stuttgart do wrong when they conceded?
Like captain Undav and board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth, VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß also found the defeat "very bitter, because quite a lot of our plan worked when I look at the first half. We didn't allow HSV any major chances. We then had enough opportunities ourselves to take the lead. But efficiency in front of goal was a big factor this time."
His team "have to take a look at themselves" over the goal they conceded, the 44-year-old said, "because we didn't stop the counter-attack that led to the 0-1."
Hoeneß would not go into detail about the next game or their opponents. All he would say was that it would be "a great experience" and his team would "be ready".
VfB Stuttgart are looking forward to their next game in the Champions League, with Atletico Madrid coming to the Ländle. Stuttgart can handle Europe's premier club competition this autumn. In the league, though, they are in crisis.