Pellegrino Matarazzo on…
… 1. FC Heidenheim. “Frank Schmidt is doing an excellent job. The team are intact and are flowing. Their movement is very intense. They run a lot and attack by coming forward quickly. They are well-drilled. On top of that, they are good from set-pieces. It is no coincidence that they have picked up so many points recently. It will be important to keep them at bay.”
… the first home game in the new year: “I look forward to every Bundesliga match – it’s always something special. Of course, playing in front of your own fans is always nicer than in front of the other team’s. We look forward to being back at home.”
… the tension ahead of the game: “It’s no secret that a victory would do us good. I’m concentrating on the game, I’m focusing on the team. If we perform at the weekend, the results will come. The pressure is normal.”
… the high number of goals conceded: “There is not one reason that explains everything. We have made too many individual errors, and we have also lost the ball in difficult areas. Our pressing structures are also an issue. We have tried to be a little more compact recently, but then we also slipped into being passive at times. I didn’t like that. There are several issues we are working on to make things better.”
… David Jurásek: “On a personal level, David is making a great impression. He will have no problems fitting in straight away. Also, in Pavel, he has someone who can help him in the dressing room. He is also making a good impression on the training ground, becoming more confident every day. He may already be an option for Saturday.”
… a possible switch to a back-four: “We’ll see about that. I can’t express the probability as a percentage, but it’s good to have the option.”
… Wout Weghorst’s comments after the Freiburg match: “It’s about desire. I love Wout because that is something he always embodies. But I also had the feeling that we showed Freiburg too much respect. It was more a matter of courage, not just of will. Still, I can see steps in the right direction.“
… Maximilian Beier: “He is very good at dealing with being in the spotlight. He had a small low point before the winter break, but now he is showing what he can do again. He doesn’t think about it too much, so he’ll just do his own thing.”
The personnel situation:
Having picked up five yellow cards, Ozan Kabak is suspended and will miss the game along with long-term injury absentees Marco John and Mergim Berisha. Grischa Prömel, on the other hand, is available again after his suspension for picking up a red card in the Bayern Munich match. Finn Becker will also miss the game with a knee injury.
The opposition’s form:
1. FC Heidenheim have not lost in their last five games. Frank Schmidt’s team started the new year with two 1-1 draws, sharing the points with both 1. FC Cologne and VfL Wolfsburg.
Head-to-head record:
TSG have only faced 1. FC Heidenheim once in the Bundesliga. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team won the reverse fixture 3-2 thanks to a remarkable comeback after going 2-0 down.