Zambia striker continues impressive start to life at Hamburger SV, finding the net in a 2-1 pre-season defeat to Everton on Saturday.
Patson Daka maintained his encouraging start to life at Hamburger SV by scoring his second goal in as many pre-season appearances, although the newly promoted Bundesliga side suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Everton on Saturday.
The Zambia international came off the bench at half-time at the Volksparkstadion and immediately injected life into HSV’s attack after the German side had trailed 1-0 at the interval following Merlin Röhl’s strike for the Premier League visitors.
Daka almost drew Hamburg level moments after his introduction, turning sharply inside the penalty area before seeing his effort flash narrowly wide. He would not have to wait much longer.
In the 50th minute, the Chipolopolo striker found himself in a similar position and made no mistake, calmly firing home to restore parity after an energetic start to the second half.
The goal continued an impressive pre-season run for the 26-year-old, who has quickly begun to repay the faith shown in him following his arrival as a free agent earlier this summer.
However, what looked set to be a deserved draw slipped away from Hamburg in stoppage time. A defensive error allowed Everton substitute Harrison Graham to deliver a cross that was unfortunately turned into his own net by Jordan Torunarigha, handing the English club a late 2-1 victory.
Despite the defeat, Daka’s individual display provided another positive sign for Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign.
The Zambian forward enjoyed a dream debut last week during Hamburg’s 3-1 victory over Heidenheim. Introduced after just 30 minutes, Daka won the penalty that Nicolai Remberg converted to put HSV ahead before providing an assist for Rayan Philippe early in the second half. He then capped his outstanding cameo by scoring his first goal for the club with a close-range finish.
Daka signed a one-year contract with Hamburger SV after leaving Leicester City at the end of his five-year stay in England.
The striker will be hoping to rediscover the prolific form that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after young forwards during his time at Salzburg, where he won four consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles, lifted three Austrian Cups, claimed the league’s Golden Boot with 27 goals during the 2020-21 season and was named the Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season.
That remarkable campaign earned him a reported €30 million move to Leicester City in 2021, then the highest transfer fee ever paid for a Zambian footballer. During his time with the Foxes, Daka scored 29 goals and registered 18 assists in 166 appearances across all competitions.
With two goals and an assist already in pre-season, the Chipolopolo striker is making an early statement as he looks to play a leading role in Hamburg’s return to the Bundesliga.
Hamburg will continue their preparations with a five-day training camp before hosting French side LOSC in another pre-season friendly next weekend.
