“It’s hard with ten men”

Nicolai Remberg: We didn’t start well. After half an hour, we looked better and had a few chances. After that, it was an equal game. We could’ve drawn the match but – at the end of the day – it was tricky with the red card. Despite going a man down, I felt good because we were working hard, winning challenges and getting chances to hit them on the counter.

“Despite going a man down, I felt good”

Miro Muheim: We weren’t happy with the first 30 minutes. We didn’t imagine the game playing out like that. Shortly before the break, we had a good period of play and then took the lead after the interval. After that, things took a disappointing turn with the red card and the penalty. But we kept fighting. At the end of the day, it is what it is. We would have loved to have taken at least a point. If we were going back to Hamburg with that, we’d be happy, but it was very tricky with ten men.

Damion Downs: I’m not happy with the result, but I’m over the moon about making my debut for HSV. I’m happy to be here. I knew yesterday that I’d be starting. The team has supported me amazingly from day one, and it’s made the start very easy for me. Today, it was a hard match for all of us. We were playing well up until the red card, but the momentum shifted after that.

Merlin Polzin: We didn’t start the game well at all on and off the ball. At half-time, we decided that we would show another side of us. We managed to do that to impressive effect with the corner. It’s disappointing that this was followed by the red card. When we’re down a man, it doesn’t increase our chances of coming away with a win. That’s why I was even more pleased to see how the boys managed to prevent the opposition from getting near our goal and create inroads up front with the odd counterattack. I don’t know what to make of Freiburg’s second goal. For me, the decision is clearly incorrect and hard to take – the elbow is in the player’s face, it shouldn’t be there. Nevertheless, we’re taking it as it comes. On Tuesday, we’ll play eleven against eleven again.

Julian Schuster: I’m very happy with the first-half performance. We controlled the game and created opportunities. During this period of play, we should’ve taken our chances. After that, we lost control, and Hamburg grew into the game. It was really irritating to go behind so quickly after the break. But we showed that we don’t let our heads drop and that we continue to focus on our personal aims. The fact that we wrestled momentum back is a real plus. Hamburg made life hard for us when they were a man down. But we waited for our moment. Starting the year with three points is very important