HSV win: The biggest winner isn’t Vieira or Glatzel! | OneFootball

HSV’s victory over VfB Stuttgart produced many positive stories. One player in particular proved all the critics wrong.

After the 2-1 win against VfB Stuttgart, names like Fabio Vieira, Robert Glatzel, and Fabio Balde were in the spotlight—as match-winner, celebrated comeback scorer, or super-sub. But the real winner of the evening was someone else. It was coach Merlin Polzin, who laid the foundation for Hamburg’s success with a series of bold decisions, some of which were hotly debated beforehand.

After the disappointing performance in Augsburg, Polzin announced consequences and implemented them uncompromisingly. He made a total of four changes to the starting lineup, swapping out the entire attacking line. Rayan Philippe, Robert Glatzel, and Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit came in, while Jean-Luc Dompé, Fabio Vieira, and Ransford Königsdörffer had to make way. Additionally, William Mikelbrencis replaced Giorgi Gocholeishvili.

Many fans reacted skeptically or even angrily on social media after the lineup was announced. “Today is the first matchday where I have quiet doubts about the coaching staff,” read one frequently liked comment under HSV’s X post.

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All of HSV’s changes pay off

Polzin answered this criticism on the pitch. His plan to use Glatzel as a target man and create more depth on the wings worked immediately. The 31-year-old scored the opening goal and could have scored even earlier. Røssing-Lelesiit justified his inclusion with bold dribbles and the perfect through ball for the lead. Mikelbrencis, on the other hand, was extremely solid defensively.

When HSV came under increasing pressure after Stuttgart’s equalizer, Polzin once again made the right call. A triple substitution in the 67th minute restored structure and ultimately decided the match. DAZN expert Tobias Schweinsteiger credited Polzin with “good coaching” that noticeably threw VfB off their rhythm. Substitutes Baldé and Vieira ultimately secured the late winning goal.

“The substitutes were great today,” Miro Muheim also pointed out. Seven substitutions in total, three of them decisive: Against the top team from Swabia, it wasn’t the scorers or the providers who were the biggest winners. It was the coach, whose courage earned HSV three valuable points.

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