WATCH the Bundesliga LIVE on beIN SPORTS | Sign up to take advantage of our 7-day FREE TRIAL here | AU | NZ

Until 2018, HSV was the only team to have played in every Bundesliga season since the competition's 1963 inception, but it was relegated that year under Christian Titz.

The Hamburg giant has since endured several heartbreaking promotion near-misses, finishing fourth in the 2. Bundesliga on four occasions and third twice, in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

It lost the promotion-relegation play-off on both occasions, to Hertha Berlin in 2022 and Stuttgart in 2023.

HSV even saw its cross-city rival St Pauli beat it to the top tier last season, but will now compete in the Bundesliga in 2024-2025 after sealing automatic promotion.

Merlin Polzin's side thrashed Ulm at the Volksparkstadion, sealing the visitors' relegation and ensuring the leader could no longer be caught by third-placed Elversberg or fourth-placed Paderborn.

HSV fell behind to Tom Gaal's seventh-minute opener, only for Ludovit Reis to level three minutes later.

Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer put HSV ahead in the 42nd minute and would later get a second, with Davie Selke and Daniel Elfadli also on target, while Ulm's Philipp Strompf scored an own goal.

A win over Greuther Furth on the final matchday next week will now ensure HSV claims the title.

Fellow fallen giant Koln is currently in the driver's seat to join HSV in the top flight, as it holds a three-point advantage over Elversberg and Paderborn with one game remaining, although it does have the worst goal difference of the three sides.