Without Muheim and Capaldo: How will HSV line up against Bayer? | OneFootball

After the first setback in several weeks, HSV faces the next big challenge right away.

Three days after the 1-2 home defeat against RB Leipzig, coach Merlin Polzin's team will host Bayer Leverkusen, a team that recently reached the Champions League round of 16. Before the duel with the "Werkself," HSV will have to revamp its defense.

The absence of Miro Muheim is particularly painful. The Swiss key player is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card, leaving a hard-to-fill gap on the left flank. There is hardly a true one-to-one replacement with a strong left foot in the squad. Although Noah Katterbach would be the obvious choice, he has played virtually no role this season.

Therefore, the focus should be on the "smart solutions" that Merlin Polzin repeatedly emphasizes. With a more defensive approach, William Mikelbrencis or Giorgi Gocholeishvili could move to the left side, even though both are naturally right-sided players. If Polzin opts for more offense, trained wingers could also be considered. Bakery Jatta has already filled the role of a wing-back, and youngster Fabio Baldé is a possible alternative.

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HSV must also replace Capaldo

There is also a change ahead in the three-man defense. Nicolas Capaldo had to leave the field early against Leipzig due to muscular problems and will miss the game against Leverkusen. Polzin hopes that "in the best case, it's just something minor," but a longer break seems possible. Warmed Omari, who was substituted in for Capaldo, is likely to have a good chance of starting. Additionally, Daniel Elfadli is another high-quality option available.

Nur die Raute – All the news about HSV

HSV itself is taking the personnel concerns in stride. Goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes emphasized: "We have shown in the past that we have good guys. We can compensate for this. There won't be a major adjustment." Polzin also sees no reason for concern: "We knew that Miro would eventually get the fifth yellow card. I'm not worried about it."

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