HSV hold firm against Champions-League club: Polzin praises, Remberg warns | OneFootball

HSV acquitted themselves respectably against OSC Lille, who will at least be playing in the Champions League next season. After 135 minutes, the two teams drew 2:2.

The positive: the Rothosen did not have to fluke this result, but earned it with a solid performance. The team looked particularly composed in the first of the three periods. Against the third-placed team from last season’s Ligue 1, HSV even enjoyed more possession for long stretches. “If we stick to the plan and all pull in the same direction, it can look really good, like it did today, especially in the first half,” said HSV coach Merlin Polzin.

His captain agreed. “I thought the first half was very pleasing to watch. We got forward well and got into good situations,” said Nicolai Remberg. But in the decisive moments, things are still not quite clicking at times, according to the 26-year-old. “We’re still a little too erratic there.”

Photo: IMAGO

And there was another thing that bothered Remberg as well. “We conceded another stupid goal again,” he said angrily, “just like in the last few friendlies.” The background: before the 0:1, HSV tried to play their way out from the back along the ground while under heavy pressure from the opposition. In the end, it was Jordan Torunarigha who made the costly misplaced pass that led to the French side’s goal. In the previous friendly against Everton FC (1:2), the Rothosen had practically gifted their opponents a goal as well. A week ago, Torunarigha and his defensive partner Warmed Omari ran into each other.

HSV: Polzin speaks of missing connections

Polzin, too, did not want to let his team off the hook entirely. “If the connections between the players aren’t there because the distances are too big, then the game gets stretched out and we no longer feel comfortable,” he complained, likely referring in particular to the final 15 minutes. In the closing stages, his team allowed several clear-cut chances and eventually also conceded the late goal for 2:2.

That did not seem to bother Polzin too much, however. “It was good for us to have that exposed today,” he made clear, drawing an overall positive conclusion. “That’s why it was—once again—a very successful test.” The fact that his team can hold their own against a top French club on a good day is likely to leave the HSV coach genuinely encouraged.

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