In the 1979–80 season, HSV returned to the European Cup for the first time since 1960–61. As had happened 19 years ago, HSV faced Spanish opposition in the semi-finals. After losing the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 2–0, HSV thrashed six-time winners Real Madrid 5–1 at the Volksparkstadion to qualify for the final. HSV returned to Madrid to play Nottingham Forest in the final, where they were beaten 1–0. In the Bundesliga, HSV missed out on defending their title by two points, finishing in second place behind champions Bayern Munich.