Hjulmand ahead of #HSVB04: ‘Invest everything we can’

"Our recent performance against Mainz (1-1, ed.), especially in the first half, was not good. That's true. We have to and want to be more proactive," said Kasper Hjulmand at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon. "We're travelling to Hamburg to play better. We will invest everything we can to win." He particularly wants to find solutions in the final third. Hjulmand: "As far as that's concerned, we're not as far away as it might feel after a game like the one against Mainz."

While the Werkself have only lost one of their last ten games in all competitions, HSV, after six unbeaten matches - including four draws - most recently suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to RB Leipzig at the weekend. Nevertheless, Hjulmand sees the Hanseatic side, who have won five of their six matches this season at the Volksparkstadion, as extremely strong at home: "They performed particularly well against Bayern (2-2, ed.), Stuttgart (2-1) and Dortmund (1-1). They are flexible in their build-up play, strong on the counter-attack and bring in a lot of rotation."

Hjulmand: "do my best for the team"

Looking ahead to the next few weeks with six matches in 17 days, Hjulmand described the Bundesliga as the "most important competition" - without denying the importance and appeal of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League. The 53-year-old does not feel any pressure ahead of this crucial phase of the season: "I'm not here just to have a job. I'm here to do my best for the team. That's why I don't think about pressure. For me, it's just about preparing for tomorrow's game in the best possible way and winning."

Tillman returns to matchday squad

After the league draw against Mainz, forward Malik Tillman is back in the squad on Wednesday. Hjulmand was also asked about two other players who are at home on the wing and in defence: Axel Tape and Tim Oermann. The Dane: "Axel has made steps forward in the physical area. He's still a little short of a lot of playing minutes, but he's on a really good path. Tim is also doing very, very well in training. His personality is great, he's very attentive. I have no problems using him. He'll get playing time in the next phase, I'm very sure of that."