A little HSV fairy tale: will Jatta play a part again? | OneFootball

The Volksparkstadion almost gained another fairy-tale story within a few days. But despite Bakery Jatta's goal, HSV was eliminated from the DFB-Pokal.

It was a moment that many observers probably thought was no longer possible. After months of waiting and doubting, Bakery Jatta returned to the HSV squad in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 against Holstein Kiel. And the Gambian set out to immediately write a little football fairy tale.

Substituted in the 99th minute, the 27-year-old needed only a few touches to send the Volksparkstadion into a frenzy. His goal to make it 1-0 in the 107th minute was an explosion of emotions, relief, and pure joy. As after the last-minute victory over VfB Stuttgart, almost the entire HSV team celebrated exuberantly in front of the North Stand.

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Polzin would have "granted" it to Jatta

But the happy ending did not come. Kiel equalized shortly before the end of extra time, won in the penalty shootout, and Jatta's fairy-tale evening ended bittersweetly. "I would have granted him to be the match-winner," said coach Merlin Polzin. Captain Miro Muheim agreed but tried to look at the bigger picture: "I'm very happy for him, but in the end, we wanted to win."

The fact that Jatta was even back on the field is remarkable. Since the summer, he was considered sidelined, allowed to train but no longer part of the matchday squad. He refused a transfer, and the perspective seemed lost. But Polzin recently saw a "positive development," spoke of new energy, and rewarded the fan favorite with his first playing time since January. A reward that Jatta impressively repaid.

The question remains: Was this just the beginning of an unexpected comeback story or merely an emotional high? Polzin left everything open after the final whistle: "Today showed me again that he is an important part of our team and will continue to be. He brings a lot of energy." Realistically, the competition is probably too great, making the sporting future uncertain.

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