Despite Poulsen milestone: two other HSV strikers vie to start | OneFootball

Sunday could be a very special day for Yussuf Poulsen. The Hamburg Dane is on the verge of making his 250th Bundesliga appearance — and of all teams, he will face one of his favorite opponents.

However, Poulsen will in all likelihood have to celebrate his milestone in the role of a substitute. Although the 32-year-old is in much better shape after an injury-plagued previous season, another battle has recently taken center stage in the fight for the striker position.

Ahead of the Mainz match, it is mainly the two new signings, Patson Daka and Terem Moffi, who are engaged in an exciting duel for a place in the starting lineup. Who will ultimately get the nod was something HSV coach Merlin Polzin deliberately left open at Friday’s press conference. “Or for both,” the coach replied with a laugh when asked what spoke in favor of one striker or the other.

Polzin brings up the possibility of an HSV strike partnership

Polzin sees convincing arguments for both goal scorers. “Patson has been with us a little longer and has had a few more days to understand what is important for our game,” the coach explained. Moffi, meanwhile, immediately showed in his brief appearance against Borussia Dortmund (0-2) “that he has a presence that helps our game and causes problems for the opponent.”

Photo: IMAGO

Even so, Polzin did not want to commit himself. “It’s a question that has not yet been settled,” he said, referring to Saturday’s final training session. The only certainty was: “They will definitely help us on Sunday — maybe even together.”

That likely means Poulsen will once again have to settle for a place on the bench. And yet the 32-year-old could still become the decisive factor. His record against Mainz certainly offers hope: in 16 Bundesliga matches against the team from Rhineland-Palatinate, he has collected five goals and five assists. Against no other club has the striker been involved in more goals in his career.

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