100 matches for Jean-Luc Dompé: From highlight reel to game changer | OneFootball

Jean-Luc Dompé played his 100th competitive match in the HSV jersey in Cologne. Since his arrival in Hamburg, he has developed rapidly into an indispensable key player.

The signing of the Frenchman in August 2022 was considered a sensible addition to an already offensively strong squad for second division standards. Hamburger SV had already strengthened with Ransford Königsdörffer and László Bénes. “Jean-Luc embodies the attributes we were looking for in our current squad planning with his speed and one-on-one quality,” said the then sports director Jonas Boldt.

Dompé openly displayed these abilities in isolated moments. However, gala performances like in Paderborn (3:2), where he made the difference with three scorer points, were followed by performances that left HSV fans shaking their heads. The number of games in which the winger fell short compared to the rest of the team even outweighed the outstanding performances.

Dompé: Baumgart's Measures Take Effect

Dompé was considered the epitome of what Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok recently described as a "highlight player" when asked about the newly nominated super talent El Mala for the German national team. He repeatedly created special moments, but ultimately, "it doesn't help to just set highlights but not help the team overall." An example was the wonderful volley goal in Sandhausen, with which the right-footer, who repeatedly cut inside from the left wing, almost immortalized himself in the history books on May 28, 2023. Thanks to his golden goal, HSV was very close to promotion. As is well known, Heidenheim became the spoiler with late goals in Regensburg.

A few days later, there were two clear defeats in the relegation against Stuttgart. Dompé had little – in the first leg, even nothing – to report. For the Rothosen, another year in the 2nd Bundesliga followed, which was disappointing. Even the role as Hamburg's leading club was lost. While FC St. Pauli was promoted as champions, HSV only managed fourth place. Dompé, also hampered by minor injuries, did not improve in his second season, scoring only three goals again and collecting fewer assists.

Nur die Raute – All News about HSV

Under Steffen Baumgart, who succeeded Tim Walter in February 2024, his role changed. Because in the three- or five-man defense, there was not always a place for the offensive asset. He fulfilled his defensive tasks rather irregularly. The temporary benching and possibly discussions about whether extending the expiring contract was sensible proved to be a motivation. Dompé, who had never spent three years at a club before his HSV time, also made an impact as a substitute. Against Regensburg, he was involved in three goals within 28 minutes. Additionally, Baumgart, who was only active for a few months, attested him a "clear improvement" in play against the ball.

HSV Relies on Dompé

Merlin Polzin, who took over as head coach by the 14th matchday, also benefited from this. The former French U20 national player sweetened his debut with two goals and an assist in a 3-1 victory in Karlsruhe. “Dompé does things I haven't seen that often in this league,” enthused opposing coach Christian Eichner afterwards. The 30-year-old presented the best version of himself in the following months. He tripled his goal tally compared to the previous two seasons and reached a new career-best (14). This was previously 13, set at Zulte-Waregem and decisive for his engagement in Hamburg.

There, Dompé, who extended his expiring contract by three years to the delight of many fans – six months earlier, the voices were not nearly as positive – at the end of April, now has the reputation of being the most consistent outfield player. Unlike other key players in the promotion team, there were no doubts about his Bundesliga suitability. The officials planned the former French U20 national player as a regular and struggled with his injury-related absence in the summer preparation and the limited playing time in the first competitive matches.

Photo: IMAGO

That their protégé also stands out in the Bundesliga, he has already proven several times in the young season. Just on Sunday in the clearly too heavy 1:4 defeat in Cologne, Dompé not only scored the impressive consolation goal but was also otherwise hard to stop for his opponents. In his 100th competitive match, he recorded his 50th goal involvement. A rate that underscores the development from a highlight to a difference player. The offensively not yet particularly convincing HSV is all the more reliant on his special qualities this season to achieve the big goal of staying in the league.

Photo: Getty Images

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