Keeper, defence, wings: These HSV decisions to be made against Mallorca! | OneFootball

In the last friendly match of this summer break, HSV faces RCD Mallorca. After four defeats in a row, fans are hoping for visible improvements.

For HSV, Saturday evening (8:00 PM, live on DAZN) against the Spanish first division team RCD Mallorca offers the last chance to solidify their own formation before the competitive season opener at FK Pirmasens (August 16). The previous friendlies have been extremely inconsistent: too many mistakes at the back, and not enough attacking power up front.

Head coach Merlin Polzin already explained a few days ago: “The goal is to win every game. On the other hand, there are also content-related and process-oriented goals. No one needs a 1-0 win in a friendly just to feel good; rather, we want to feel good about our processes.”

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With the Bundesliga start approaching, HSV will likely approach the test in Mallorca with a noticeably different setup compared to recent weeks in order to feel more comfortable with their own processes: On the right wing, Emir Sahiti could be preferred over new signing Rayan Philippe. The Kosovar is among the winners of the pre-season and has gained points in direct competition with Philippe. Philippe, on the other hand, is still visibly struggling with his role on the flank.

Things are also getting interesting in defense: Newly signed Giorgi Gecholeishvili is expected to gain match practice at right-back immediately, possibly even starting from the first whistle. It will also be a clear indication for whom Polzin chooses as the second option: Currently, there is a battle between Silvan Hefti and William Mikelbrencis. By the end of the transfer window, HSV wants to decide which of the two will stay.

And in central defense, new signing Warmed Omari will make his debut. Players who have been sidelined, like Guilherme Ramos, or those whose positions are uncertain, like (former) captain Sebastian Schonlau, are unlikely to get as many minutes as before.

Another decision needs to be made regarding the goalkeeper position: Daniel Heuer Fernandes and new signing Daniel Peretz are competing for the number one spot. Against Mallorca, both keepers are expected to play one half each, but the coaching staff will make their first decision at the latest by next week.

Another important aspect will be a substitution pattern closer to competitive matches: Instead of bringing on an entirely new team at halftime as in previous friendlies, Polzin will make more selective changes on Saturday evening. He made this clear at the start of the week.

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