Press conference

Polzin: “It will be a complex task”

HSV travel to the capital on Sunday to take on 1. FC Union Berlin. In his press conference ahead of matchday 5, head coach Merlin Polzin spoke about the approach to the game and what he expects from his side.

When HSV face Union at the Alte Försterei on Sunday evening (28th September, 19:30 CEST), the Rothosen will be looking to secure their first away win of the season at the third attempt. Asked about the squad options for the trip and the strengths of their opponents from the capital, Polzin commented on…

…the squad: Things are looking fairly positive again. In coordination with the medical team, we increased the workload for Yussuf Poulsen and Jordan Torunarigha this week, and we’ll wait until tomorrow’s final training session before deciding whether they can be in the squad. Silvan Hefti will not be an option, as he has only trained individually due to hip problems. Immanuel Pherai will also be unavailable this weekend for personal reasons – sometimes in life there are things more important than football.

"I was really pleased with how we performed last weekend, especially in terms of the belief in our own strengths"

…possible changes to the starting XI: As coaches, we’re not so rigid that we stick with the same line-up just because we won against Heidenheim, only changing it after the next defeat. We take into account what we see in training during the week and look at what suits us best against the upcoming opponent. Of course, I was really pleased with how we performed last weekend, especially in terms of the belief in our own strengths, and the team definitely made a good case for themselves. But the final decisions will only be made after the last training session.

…the opposition: Union have a very experienced side, tremendous pace up front, a flexible attacking approach and also bring plenty of physicality and robustness. This is now their seventh straight season in the Bundesliga – their rise and development deserve respect. We’re expecting a tough, intense and at times uncomfortable away game, where we’ll need to defend compactly but also make sure we get our spells of possession. It will be a complex task and an exciting challenge against a team now playing real Steffen Baumgart football.