Interview

Familiar territory for Lasogga

HSV attacker Pierre-Michel Lasogga feels more at home than ever in the opposition box this season, and the Gladbeck native will look to lead the line again this weekend against Bochum as he returns to familiar pastures, both on and off the field.

40 metres wide and 16 metres long, the penalty area, or more often known as simply the box, is Pierre-Michel Lasogga’s second home. It’s where he spends most of his time on the pitch and where he scores most of his goals. “Lasso is a real machine in the box. When the ball is near him, it’s half a goal already – he is a real poacher,” said captain Aaron Hunt. The stats prove it – Lasogga has racked up a cool 17 goals in 22 competitive games this season, finding the back if the net 13 times in the Bundesliga 2 in addition to four DFB Pokal goals. The 27-year-old is enjoying his most successful season since 2013/14, when he scored 15 goals across all competitions and is accountable for 34% of Die Rothosen’s goals this term.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga has history against VfL Bochum, scoring twice.

“Experience is important in all areas of life,” said Lasogga, who made his first steps in football at the club Adler Ellinghorst in his native Ruhr area at just three years old. On Saturday, the attacker travels to Bochum – just 20 kilometres from his place of birth. “I am really looking forward to it- I feel like I’m going home to where I grew up. Of course I have strong feelings about it,” said Pierre-Michel, who will look to feel right at home on the pitch. Lasogga began his career as a winger in the youth team of FC Schalke 04 between 1999 and 2006, before transitioning into a striker for the rest of his career which has seen him represent clubs in Essen, Wattenscheid, Wolfsburg, Berlin and now Hamburg.

Lasogga has 81 career goals to his name, including two against upcoming opponents Bochum. On the 15th November 2010, the striker scored a double for Hertha BSC against Bochum. However, the striker is yet to score in the Ruhr Stadium, home of the club since 1911 and located in the centre of Bochum. "We are under pressure to win in Bochum. At the end of the day, we need victories and points on order to reach our end of season goal. This pressure drives us on and so it's a positive. So far, we've shown we can handle it well," said the striker. Lasogga will be keen to find his home on the pitch as soon as possible- the opposition box.