First team

Walter to make changes to the defence on Friday

HSV aim to win their seventh home game of the season on Friday evening. Tim Walter will have to make changes at the back again and such changes have always been successful for the Rothosen so far this season.

Head coach Tim Walter was pleased with what he saw on the training pitch on Wednesday (22nd November). Two members of the back four who have been out injured recently, captain Sebastian Schonlau and right-back Ignace Van der Brempt, were back on the training pitch, albeit not with the whole team but in an individual session with rehabilitation coach Sebastian Capel. However, this was a clear sign that things are progressing for HSV’s recovering defenders. That being said, both players will not be available for Friday evening's home game against Eintracht Braunschweig. Since centre-back Dennis Hadzikadunic is suspended for having picked up five yellow cards, Walter will have to make changes at the back again.

Therefore, the news that Stephan Ambrosius and Gui Ramos (pictured above) were back in team training was very welcome. The pair could start at centre-half on Friday, making up a back four alongside Miro Muheim on the left and at right-back, it will be either the France U20s player William Mikelbrencis or Moritz Heyer, who is able to play in different defensive positions.

The due are back just in time, as the Rothosen are naturally looking to build on their impressive home record when they come up against Eintracht. HSV's very stable defence has been a pivotal factor in the team’s success on home soil, proven by their perfect track record of six consecutive wins in Hamburg so far. Out of those fixtures, goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes has only had conceded three times, meaning that just 0.5 goals were conceded per home game on average. An outstanding statistic! All three of these goals were scored in the very first game of the season in the thrilling 5-3 home victory over relegated Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, and "Ferro" and the boys have gone the following five home games without conceding a single goal.

That track record is set to be continued on Friday evening - this time, with a modified backline. However, changes to the starting line-up aren’t out of the ordinary for Walter and his team: the coach was only able to put out an identical back four (Van der Brempt, Hadzikadunic, Ramos, Muheim) twice in the last six home games, meaning that a total of five different combinations of players have lined in defence for HSV at the Volkspark.

HSV vs. FC Schalke 04: Van der Brempt, Ramos, Ambrosius, Heyer
HSV vs. Hertha BSC / Fortuna Düsseldorf: Van der Brempt, Hadzikadunic, Ramos, Muheim
HSV vs. Hansa Rostock: Van der Brempt, Hadzikadunic, Schonlau, Muheim
HSV vs. SpVgg Fürth: Heyer (from 8’), Hadzikadunic, Ramos, Muheim
HSV vs. 1. FC Magdeburg: Mikelbrencis, Hadzikadunic, Ambrosius, Muheim

Given the lack of opportunities to play with a consistent back four, the fact that the Rothosen haven’t conceded in five consecutive home games is a highly impressive record. Walter’s changes at the back are working out well and we can expect the same again on Friday evening. Tim Walter hopes for a sixth consecutive clean sheet at the Volkspark.