Hallescher FC’s Hilal El-Helwe is the man for the important goals. He scored a brace in his side’s 4-3 extra-time win over Kaiserslautern in the first round of the DFB Cup, while one of his goals for the Lebanon national team secured them a place in the next round of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Now the attacker is looking to put his nous for the big occasion to use again in the second round of the DFB Cup, with Bundesliga side Hamburger SV the third-tier outfit’s opponents at 20:45 CEST this evening. 21-year-old El-Helwe spoke to us about the excitement ahead of the tie, his history with VfL Wolfsburg and his international career with Lebanon.
DFB.de: Mr El-Helwe Hallescher FC are unbeaten in seven games in the 3.Liga, while your cup opponents Hamburger SV find themselves in a real crisis as they sit at the bottom of the Bundesliga. Is this your chance?
Hilal
El-Helwe: Of course we are well prepared for the game against Hamburger SV. We know that Hamburg aren’t in a very good period at the moment. As huge underdogs, we really want to take our chance. It’s always nice to play against a Bundesliga side.
DFB.de: Is it an advantage or disadvantage that they are in crisis right now?
El-Helwe: It’s difficult to say. It could be an advantage that they are down, but at the same time it could be a disadvantage. HSV need to turn things around, they players will be feeling the pressure and will be a lot more concentrated as a result.
DFB.de: Will the focus be on the defence, or will HFC look to play football?
El-Helwe: The coach will decide that. But one thing is certain: as footballers we always want to score goals, be proactive rather than reactive. We are a good team and have what it takes.
DFB.de: The match is sold out. How big is the excitement in Halle ahead of this game?
El-Helwe: The game is a huge talking point here. We’ve had butterflies in our stomach for a while now. When you walk the streets you are frequently spoken to about it. The people say we have to give everything against Hamburg. We will.
DFB.de: In the first round of the DFB-Cup you beat second division side Kaiserslautern 4-3 after extra time. So your team knows how to beat a big club.
El-Helwe: The desire is obviously decisive. You run more, fight more. A lot of it is psychological. Against Kaiserslautern our focus was first and foremost to be tight at the back. But we still kept looking for chances at the other end. In the end it was just our day. Otherwise this sensation would not have been possible.
DFB.de: You in particular had a good day: In the space of four minutes you scored two goals to bring your side from 2-1 down to 3-2 up. Was this perhaps the best game of your career?
El-Helwe: Of course that was a special game. Just unbelievable to be able to help the team with two goals. This game is definitely in my top three.
DFB.de: You moved to Hallescher FC before the start of the season, but you could have moved to league rivals 1. FC Magdeburg. What was the deciding factor?
El-Helwe: In the end it was just a gut feeling. The people here spoke to me, I had good talks with the manager and the chairman. I just felt right. Aside from that, I am convinced by the potential of this team.
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Hallescher FC’s Hilal El-Helwe is the man for the important goals. He scored a brace in his side’s 4-3 extra-time win over Kaiserslautern in the first round of the DFB Cup, while one of his goals for the Lebanon national team secured them a place in the next round of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Now the attacker is looking to put his nous for the big occasion to use again in the second round of the DFB Cup, with Bundesliga side Hamburger SV the third-tier outfit’s opponents at 20:45 CEST this evening. 21-year-old El-Helwe spoke to us about the excitement ahead of the tie, his history with VfL Wolfsburg and his international career with Lebanon.
DFB.de: Mr El-Helwe Hallescher FC are unbeaten in seven games in the 3.Liga, while your cup opponents Hamburger SV find themselves in a real crisis as they sit at the bottom of the Bundesliga. Is this your chance?
Hilal
El-Helwe: Of course we are well prepared for the game against Hamburger SV. We know that Hamburg aren’t in a very good period at the moment. As huge underdogs, we really want to take our chance. It’s always nice to play against a Bundesliga side.
DFB.de: Is it an advantage or disadvantage that they are in crisis right now?
El-Helwe: It’s difficult to say. It could be an advantage that they are down, but at the same time it could be a disadvantage. HSV need to turn things around, they players will be feeling the pressure and will be a lot more concentrated as a result.
DFB.de: Will the focus be on the defence, or will HFC look to play football?
El-Helwe: The coach will decide that. But one thing is certain: as footballers we always want to score goals, be proactive rather than reactive. We are a good team and have what it takes.
DFB.de: The match is sold out. How big is the excitement in Halle ahead of this game?
El-Helwe: The game is a huge talking point here. We’ve had butterflies in our stomach for a while now. When you walk the streets you are frequently spoken to about it. The people say we have to give everything against Hamburg. We will.
DFB.de: In the first round of the DFB-Cup you beat second division side Kaiserslautern 4-3 after extra time. So your team knows how to beat a big club.
El-Helwe: The desire is obviously decisive. You run more, fight more. A lot of it is psychological. Against Kaiserslautern our focus was first and foremost to be tight at the back. But we still kept looking for chances at the other end. In the end it was just our day. Otherwise this sensation would not have been possible.
DFB.de: You in particular had a good day: In the space of four minutes you scored two goals to bring your side from 2-1 down to 3-2 up. Was this perhaps the best game of your career?
El-Helwe: Of course that was a special game. Just unbelievable to be able to help the team with two goals. This game is definitely in my top three.
DFB.de: You moved to Hallescher FC before the start of the season, but you could have moved to league rivals 1. FC Magdeburg. What was the deciding factor?
El-Helwe: In the end it was just a gut feeling. The people here spoke to me, I had good talks with the manager and the chairman. I just felt right. Aside from that, I am convinced by the potential of this team.
