Best form right now? HSV star gets special praise from Polzin | OneFootball

Many HSV stars are falling miles short of their best form in the final stretch of the season. But that does not apply to one player.

While the Hanseatic side have looked worryingly shaky in recent weeks (just one win from their last ten matches), Jordan Torunarigha has clearly stood out from the team trend with his reliability. Coach Merlin Polzin accordingly chose clear words (via Bild) and was full of praise: “Jordan has been extremely solid over the past few weeks, even when we haven’t played that well. He was one of the players we could rely on.”

Torunarigha especially underlined his value in the home game against TSG Hoffenheim (1:2). In a defense that was plagued by a string of individual mistakes, the Nigeria international noticeably stood out. With a duel success rate of 63.6 percent, he even outperformed every Hoffenheim opponent. On the ground, the HSV star won five of his six direct duels in total.

Photo: Getty Images

Polzin on HSV star: “Doubt makes him stronger”

Torunarigha has also posted more than respectable numbers over the course of the season: he wins 61.3 percent of his duels, while also recording a pass completion rate of 84.6 percent and averaging 68 touches per match. His intensity off the ball is particularly striking: in April, he averaged 9.25 clearances per game, a top-five figure across the league. Polzin sums it up perfectly: “He loves this stage of the season. He’s up for it. Every moment someone doubts him makes him stronger.”

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There were plenty of doubts about Torunarigha’s qualities, especially in his first few months at HSV. After a weak pre-season and an unfortunate DFB-Pokal appearance against FK Pirmasens (2:1 after extra time), the summer signing began the campaign merely as a backup. Over the following months, however, the left-footer gradually worked his way into the team and has now become an integral part of the back three — most recently even as the central center-back in the absence of Luka Vuskovic. When the Croatian returns, Torunarigha is likely to move back to his natural position on the left.

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