Will Polzin give HSV teen Lemke a go against BVB too? | OneFootball

His first competitive goal, a place in HSV’s history books, and plenty of praise from all sides: after his dream night in Verl, Louis Lemke would have every reason to get a little carried away.

But that is exactly what will not happen. HSV’s decision-makers are making a conscious effort to keep their 16-year-old top talent grounded despite all the hype. In any case, far more important than the easy cup opener in East Westphalia is the question of what comes next. And that could be a big one.

On Saturday evening (6:30 p.m., Sky), HSV travel to Borussia Dortmund for the Bundesliga opener. If Miro Muheim – as currently expected – does not recover from his muscle injury in time, Lemke is likely to start once again on the left flank. For the youngster, it would be the first real baptism of fire of his still very young career.

HSV: Lemke facing a floodlit baptism of fire in Dortmund?

The level at Signal Iduna Park will naturally be completely different from what he faced against Verl, second from bottom in the 3. Liga. On Lemke’s side, one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting new signings could be waiting in Konstantinos Karetsas. The Greek, two years older and signed from Genk for €30 million, prefers to operate in the right half-space and constantly looks to take defenders on one-on-one. His favorite move is to cut inside and shoot with his strong left foot. At the same time, Julian Ryerson – regularly one of the league’s hardest-running full-backs – also joins the attack time and again. The Norwegian poses a constant threat with his forward runs and the quality of his crosses.

Photo: IMAGO

For Lemke, that would mean significantly more defensive work, significantly less time on the ball, and countless decisions under maximum pressure.

There is no doubt, however, that he is fundamentally capable of handling the task. After the cup win, coach Merlin Polzin spoke of the “really good performances” the left-footer had already shown with the senior side over a period of weeks. Teammates such as Sander Tangvik and Sebastiaan Bornauw also praised his development and his fearlessness. Even so, a floodlit clash in Dortmund would put Lemke’s resilience to a much sterner test once again.

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