"Really strong first half" – Polzin pleased with end to the year | OneFootball

HSV remained unbeaten in their fourth consecutive home game. Coach Merlin Polzin was satisfied with the draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Hanseatic team got off to a strong start and took the lead in the 19th minute through Albert Sambi Lokonga. However, with the visitors' first constructive attack, Hugo Larsson quickly equalized. Ultimately, the match ended 1-1, with Rayan Philippe hitting the crossbar in the first half and a late goal from Fábio Vieira being disallowed due to a marginal offside. On the other side, Bakery Jatta made a brilliant goal-line clearance against Nathaniel Brown to save already beaten keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes.

Accordingly, Merlin Polzin described the result as “fair” at the press conference. While HSV had more chances before the break, the visitors dominated possession after halftime. “We played a really good first half. We managed to find good solutions in possession and implement the things we had planned without the ball—especially with our high pressing,” said the coach.

HSV sees itself “on the right track”

The high pressing forced a misplaced pass from Namdi Collins, which Lokonga converted into the opening goal. The Hamburg defense—especially William Mikelbrencis, who looked lost on a long diagonal ball from Collins—did not look good on the equalizer. “We simply have to defend the goal against us better,” lamented Polzin, who nevertheless credited his team with “a good performance against a very strong side.”

SGE coach Dino Toppmöller had a similar view of the traditional clash: “It was a hard-fought and exciting match with a fair result. Of course, we wanted to take all three points, but we also knew that HSV is not easy to play against at home.” 14 of the 16 points won by the Rothosen have come at the atmospheric Volksparkstadion. Away from home, two goalless draws in Mönchengladbach and Berlin stand out so far.

Nur die Raute – All the latest news about HSV

The poor away record is something they aim to improve in 2026. “We need to make sure we become more stable away from home and pick up more points,” said Daniel Elfadli, who stepped in at short notice for Jordan Torunarigha. Overall, from his perspective, HSV has “established itself well” in the Bundesliga. “Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but we are on the right track,” captain Nicolás Capaldo agreed. The lead over the relegation spot is currently five points. The main goal of staying in the league is therefore within reach.

Photo: Getty Images

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