“An all-round successful evening”

This weekend’s prime-time match in the Bundesliga 2 really had everything – as long as you look at it from HSV’s perspective. The atmosphere was rocking as the Volksparkstadion sold out for the tenth game in a row, and the ‘Rothosen’ performed brilliantly from the first to the last minute, scoring three goals and – more importantly – keeping a clean sheet. Tim Walter’s side therefore remain unbeaten in 11 home matches. It wasn’t just the goalscorers Laszlo Benes, Robert Glatzel and Bakery Jatta and the defence who were thrilled with the victory, but also birthday boy Omar Megeed, who’s been dreaming of a game like the one witnessed tonight for a decade.

Muro Mulheim: We were on it from the start, the whole team was up for it and got right into challenges. Our defence was alert and did very well. It was a really fun match, and that’s how we want to carry on in the next few games.

Daniel Heuer Fernandes: We took the game by the scruff of the neck from the first minute, got the crowd on our side immediately and got the ball rolling for a euphoric atmosphere. We really got stuck into our challenges. If we didn’t win the first ball, then we won the second. That’s what set us apart in the first half. We missed a few chances to make it three but we still had the hunger to keep going until the end and to score the third goal.

Laszlo Benes: I’m very pleased we kept a clean sheet today. It’s very important for us to take that next step. The number of goals we concede is certainly a hot topic. Today, we scored three but kept a shutout. I’m very proud of the team because we turned the pressure on from the first minute and didn’t allow our opponents into the game one bit.

"That’s what I wished for my 18th birthday ten years ago ." Omar Megeed

Robert Glatzel: It was an all-round successful evening. We defended so well tonight, and that was crucial. By that I mean the entire team, but particularly the back four, who won the important challenges. It gives you a feeling of security and we often find the back of the net up front anyway. We didn’t let ourselves get disheartened by the VAR decisions and instead stepped our game up a notch. That’s what set us apart today. 

Omar Megeed: That was the best birthday present I could possibly think of. Being subbed on in such a game, in such a ground on your 18th birthday and then for it to be against Hertha, they’re feelings you really can’t describe. It gives you a real boost to keep going and to keep working. The lads sang for me in the huddle as well. The team is like family to me. That’s what I wished for my 18th birthday ten years ago, and today that wish came true.  

Tim Walter: Hertha tried to put the pressure on right from the start, but we were at it from the first whistle and were right into the thick of the game. We didn’t let frustrating situations get the better of us, and instead got even better, applied more pressure and then got ourselves two goals. We probably should have scored the third goal a little earlier. We really concentrated well today and my team were the deserved winners. 

Pal Dardai: It was a deserved win for HSV. I haven’t looked at any statistics, but there was definitely a difference in the challenge success rates, the second balls won, and the aerial duels won. There’s a difference in class between the two sides at the moment. We need to accept that. We did well in the first 20 minutes, but our first pass just kept finding the opposition. Everything we did well against fourth-tier opposition, we didn’t do well today. We came out reasonably well in the second half, but I didn’t have the feeling that we could score a goal today. We need to keep proving ourselves and improving week by week.