24.04.2019

Good cup run – now focus on the last few games

Hannes Wolf believes that HSV have had a good season in the cup despite the loss against Leipzig. He now wants to the side to focus on the last few games of the season in the 2. Bundesliga.

Review

Bakery Jatta was chosen as man of the match in the DFB-Pokal semi-final last night. The winger played well, despite HSV’s 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig at home. Jatta wasn’t chosen by football pundits, rather football fans decided by voting in the DFB app. That shows the impression that the HSV performance left on fans watching the game, even if Ralf Rangnick didn’t agree. HSV left the pitch to great applause, even though they failed to reach the final in Berlin for the first time in 32 years. “We’ve had a good cup run. We can look back on it positively. Now we’re focused on the league again,” said Hannes Wolf.

Courage and confidence are key for Hannes Wolf going into the final part of the season. His team showed both against Leipzig.

“It was working”

HSV’s next game is away to Union Berlin, back in the 2. Bundesliga. The side are currently fourth in the table and can overtake Hamburg with a win. “It’s another game against Union. We have to be fully ready to get running again. It’s a big game,” said Wolf. Even though it’s another game and HSV will be starting again, they can still take something from the cup game. “We always try to use things and not start anew every time. There are moments in which you change things. That’s what we did,” said Wolf. Vasiljie Janjicic played as a central player between the two central defenders, Douglas Santos also played in the middle of the park, with Josha Vagnoman on the left and Khaled Narey on the right. “In principle, they’re usually around these positions. So the change wasn’t that great. We had some problems towards the start and Leipzig came with a lot of force. After that, we got some confidence from the goal and realised that it was working,” added Wolf.

It’ll be quite a different game against Union. It’s not confirmed what position Douglas Santos will play yet.

Good runs and be hard-working

The coach didn’t confirm whether he’d stick with the same tactics for the coming games. Their opponents also won’t be playing in the same way. You have to have an answer for everything, says Wolf. “You need good runs, have to be hard-working, and you need the final blow. You have to use the situations that you create. That’s what we have to work on and put everything into it,” said the head coach. The players that didn’t play or only played briefly on Tuesday evening were put through their paces on Wednesday, whilst the others did some cycling. The players will have Thursday off. “We have to regenerate well now, because we need the freshness against Union,” said Wolf. HSV have the end of the season in their sights, and want to finish strongly.

No show from HSV

HSV head coach Markus Gisdol was forced into changing his team ahead of the trip south. Long term injured first choice keeper Adler was still recovering from a broken rib before his understudy Mathenia also got injured and was ruled out of the matchday 31 encounter. Up stepped under-21 stopper Mikel to the fray. Key winger Kostic who scored the only goal of the game between the two sides on matchday 14 was suspended so his place went to Austrian Gregoritsch. Ostrzolek got the nod at left back ahead of Douglas Santos while Walace replaced Jung in defensive midfield. Gisdol made four changes in all to the side which lost 1-2 at home to relegation certainties Darmstadt last time out. The new-look formation struggled early on. Augsburg created three top scoring opportunities within the opening 20 minutes. New keeper Mikel managed to keep out efforts by Kohr and Schmid and was grateful to be able to watch a Stafylidis free kick fizz narrowly wide of target. On 22 minutes the visitors were in luck again as an Altintop effort struck the left hand post with Mikel beaten. It seemed to the capacity crowd including yet another sold out contingent of travelling HSV faithful that it weould only be a matter of time before the home side would break the deadlock and they did as Altintop rounded off two counter attacks on 28 and 41 minutes to make the halftime score 2-0 to Augsburg. Mickel was powerless on both occasions and was HSV’s best man before the break.

Deserved defeat

Lasogga came on for Gregoritsch and Jung replaced Walace at the start of the second half as Gisdol opted for a two-pronged attack. Later Jatta replaced Ostrzolek. The ploy simply didn’t work as the Rothosen had more of the ball than in the previous half but were completely harmless in front of goal. Augsburg played a much more intelligent game and struck the woodwork again through Baier. That superior intelligence was underlined late on as Augsburg struck twice through Max and substitute Bobadilla (76., 85.). It was game over for HSV who failed to threaten until the 84th minute for Lasogga and Wood to miss chances. It was simply not good enough and the Rothosen remain just one point above the relegation play off spot in the table. Matchday 22 sees Gisdol and Co. host Mainz who are level on points but two places better due to a superior goal difference. Only a win will do as the teams lock horns at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg next Sunday (07.05.17, 3.30 PM).

Match details:

FC Augsburg:

Hitz - Verhaegh, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Stafylidis - Kohr, D. Baier (88. Callsen-Bracker) - Schmid, Halil Altintop (80. Bobadilla), Max (87. Ji) - Finnbogason

HSV:

Mickel - Diekmeier, K. Papadopoulos, Mavraj, Ostrzolek (63. Jatta) - Sakai, Walace (46. Jung) - Gregoritsch (46. Lasogga), Holtby, Hunt - Wood

Goals:

1:0 Altintop (28.), 2:0 Altintop (41.), 3:0 Max (76.), 4:0 Bobadilla (85.)

Booked:

Baier (48.) / Mavraj (33.), Gregoritsch (44.), Ostrzolek (51.), Holtby (72.)

Referee:

Manuel Gräfe (Berlin)

Att:

30.660 (sold out)