HSV surprise: Why Dompé took the penalty instead of Vuskovic | OneFootball

With his converted penalty, Jean-Luc Dompé secured the decision in the relegation showdown between HSV and VfL Wolfsburg.

The fact that Dompé, of all people, took the decisive penalty—and not defender Luka Vušković, who converted the first penalty to make it 1-1—had several reasons.

The Frenchman had been through tough weeks. After the 0-0 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in mid-January, he was not in the starting lineup for almost two months. Shortly thereafter, he was even temporarily suspended following a DUI incident. Even after his return, Dompé initially had to line up behind competitor Philip Otele. In Wolfsburg, both wingers were in the starting lineup together for the first time.

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HSV Coach: “We have a circle of penalty takers”

In the first half, Dompé had no decisive scenes. The first HSV penalty was converted by Vušković, although the defender only managed to get the ball into the net with luck and the help of Wolfsburg's keeper Kamil Grabara. When the next penalty was due later, the Croatian gave his teammate the chance. “I wanted to give the second penalty to Dompé,” Vušković explained after the match.

Nur die Raute – All News about HSV

HSV coach Merlin Polzin referred to the internal regulation of the Hamburg team. “We have a circle of penalty takers,” he said, adding: “Whether it's Bobby Glatzel, Fábio Vieira, or Luka Vušković. There is a predetermined order.” Since striker Robert Glatzel and midfielder Fábio Vieira were on the bench at that moment, Dompé finally took on the responsibility.

In front of the loud Wolfsburg fans, the winger confidently placed the ball into the lower left corner. For Polzin, it was a strong signal after the turbulent weeks of his protégé: “That he takes responsibility in this game after everything that has been said, written, and perhaps rightly judged about him in the past, speaks volumes for the young man.” Dompé visibly wanted to give something back. And he succeeded with his decisive goal.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.