Kwasniok praises HSV ahead of relegation battle: "The signs have changed" | OneFootball

It's been a little over four months since HSV suffered a clear 1:4 defeat in their away game against 1. FC Köln.

While the frustration of Hamburg was primarily directed at referee Daniel Schlager that Sunday evening, the Billy Goats were proudly sitting in an outstanding seventh place in the standings after the 9th matchday. And even though some critical calls indeed favored the Cologne team, the subsequent discussions could not hide the fact that the home victory was more than deserved.

The Rhinelanders impressed against HSV, as they had in previous weeks, with bold and versatile offensive football. By the time it was 4:1, all Bundesliga observers agreed: This 1. FC Köln will have little to nothing to do with relegation!

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Kwasniok: “We are capable of holding our own at HSV”

A short quarter later, not much of that optimism is left. Following the success over HSV, Effzeh only won two more games, collected a meager ten points during this period, and suddenly finds themselves level on points with the relegation spot.

The situation in Hamburg looks quite different: The Red Shorts have been scoring regularly since the defeat in Cologne. A few weeks ago, the traditional West German club was overtaken in the standings, and the gap has now increased to five points. Before the return match (6:30 PM, Sky), it is Effzeh who finds themselves in a slight underdog role. “The circumstances have changed since the first match,” admitted Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok before the game.

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The 44-year-old, who almost ended up in Volkspark in the winter of 2024, did not hold back on praise for his opponent: “At HSV, after a not-so-easy start and the defeat here, I never noticed any discussion about individual people. I always felt that there was a unity present and that even in a difficult situation, they were well aware of the qualities of Merlin Polzin and his coaching staff and the qualities of the team.”

Nevertheless, Kwasniok, who might even face dismissal if defeated in the Hanseatic city, is confident: “We are capable of holding our own there.”

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