Despite Stuttgart blunder: Polzin raves about HSV new boy! | OneFootball

Winter signing Albert Grønbaek is under particular scrutiny from the HSV public ahead of the northern derby against Werder Bremen.

After weeks of injury concerns following his arrival, the Dane is now gradually finding his rhythm. In the home game against Augsburg two weeks ago, Grønbaek made his HSV debut and impressed with a lively substitute appearance.

The reward: against Stuttgart, coach Merlin Polzin named him in the starting lineup for the first time! However, in the heavy 0-4 defeat, the playmaker made a costly error by losing the ball near his own penalty area, which led to the interim 0-2. Although Warmed Omari gave him a truly thankless pass, the truth is that Grønbaek had emphatically called for the ball beforehand.

Despite this mistake, Polzin has publicly backed the Rennes loanee. “Albert has a lot of power in counter-pressing. He brings great intensity to the pitch, which will do us a lot of good, especially in the final stretch of the season,” the HSV coach emphasized on Thursday at the press conference. The 24-year-old is also likely to play an important role in the derby against Werder.

Photo: Getty Images

HSV does not want to be “lured in” by Werder

In fact, Grønbaek is an option for several positions. Alongside Nicolai Remberg, he could play as a box-to-box midfielder and thus serve as a replacement for the still-injured Sambi Lokonga. An attacking midfield role behind the striker is also conceivable. Grønbaek could even be used on the left wing, as Jean-Luc Dompé is unavailable.

This versatility makes him especially valuable for Polzin. The coach is deliberately relying on tactical flexibility in order to react to different match situations. “Bremen will certainly defend more aggressively and higher up the pitch, and we don’t want to get lured in,” Polzin explained with a view to the upcoming clash with their neighbors in the table from the Weser.

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However, Grønbaek is by no means without competition. Philip Otele is also available for the left side, and Polzin praised him as well: “His qualities are his one-on-one duels, which he keeps seeking out and winning.”

Still, there is a lot to suggest that Grønbaek will once again be in the starting lineup despite his mistake against Stuttgart. The coach’s trust—and with it the chance to provide the right response to his error in the northern derby—is assured.

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