“Better to act than talk”: HSV's plan without Vuskovic | OneFootball

Luka Vuskovic’s latest absence presents HSV with a tricky challenge. The numbers show just how much his loss hurts.

The newly promoted side has played five matches this season without the 19-year-old. With clear consequences: the team conceded a hefty ten goals during that spell, an average of two per game. With Vuskovic on the pitch, the record is significantly more stable. In 25 matches, goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes has had to pick the ball out of his net 38 times. That works out at just 1.52 goals conceded per 90 minutes.

His absence was especially painful in the recent heavy defeats against Stuttgart (0:4) and Bremen (1:3). The bitter news: the defensive leader will again only be watching from the sidelines against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (6.30 p.m., Sky). Coach Merlin Polzin confirmed the absence on Thursday: “Luka is still dealing with knee problems and is not available. There’s no point dwelling on it. We have to find solutions.”

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Polzin puts HSV midfielder under pressure

That is exactly what HSV has been working on intensively this week. Polzin is likely to once again opt for a back three with Jordan Torunarigha in the center and Nicolás Capaldo and Warmed Omari in the half-back roles. Although this setup looked vulnerable recently, the coach is making a point of backing his defenders. Vuskovic is “without a doubt a top player,” but: “It won’t be about trying to play like Luka.”

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Instead, Polzin is calling for a team solution. Alongside the back line, he is also putting responsibility on the midfield. “It’s also about how our holding midfielders defend in order to close the spaces,” the 35-year-old explained. That will be crucial against Hoffenheim in particular, as the opponent deliberately looks to exploit the spaces between the lines.

One way or another, Polzin does not want Vuskovic’s absence to be used as an excuse under any circumstances. His closing words at the press conference were: “Better to do than to talk.”

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