No Guirassy, no Schlotterbeck: Polzin reveals his BVB favourite! | OneFootball

For the first time in his young coaching career, Merlin Polzin will face BVB this weekend. There is one player he is especially looking forward to.

When Hamburger SV hosts Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (3:30 p.m., Sky) in the sold-out Volksparkstadion, it will be a special duel for HSV coach Merlin Polzin. Sitting on the opposing bench will be Niko Kovac, a man Polzin cheered for as a child. Back then, the Hamburg native was still a passionate fan standing on the North Stand.

Kovac wore the HSV jersey from 1999 to 2001 and was part of that legendary team that made football history with a 4-4 draw against Juventus Turin. “Of course, I know Niko Kovac for his style of play and what he represented for his clubs,” said Polzin. “I’m looking forward to meeting him in person now.”

But despite all the nostalgia, the HSV coach is focusing on the present and on a very specific Dortmund player. Surprisingly, Polzin doesn’t rave about top scorer Serhou Guirassy or defensive leader Nico Schlotterbeck, but about a player who stands out more for his quiet football intelligence than for flashy moments: Pascal Groß.

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Polzin wants to learn from Pascal Groß

“If you had to pick one player at Borussia Dortmund in terms of tactical understanding, then Pascal Groß is someone who is always one step ahead of many others,” Polzin enthused. “We as coaches learn from players, and you can learn a lot from him.”

For the HSV coach, the 34-year-old Groß is the embodiment of modern, thinking football. The national team player, who moved from Brighton & Hove Albion to BVB in 2024, impresses Polzin especially with his vision and decision-making quality.

Whether Polzin and his HSV can trip up Dortmund’s tactical favorite pupil remains to be seen. After three defeats in a row, it would definitely do the Red Shorts good to get back to earning points. That’s why Polzin announced: “We want to make life as difficult as possible for Kovac and his team!”

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