Matarazzo: “We have to be focused”

Pellegrino Matarazzo on…

…his feelings going into the new season: “I’m excited to make a start to the new season and get going. Preseason is always good for making improvements, but at the end of the day we’re competitors. That’s why we’re looking forward to the game in Würzburg.”

…preseason preparations: “We did a lot of great work in addressing various elements of play, we have adapted some of our structures to give us more stability. I’m confident that we’ll take to the pitch tomorrow with good energy.”

…the DFB-Pokal: “We are the favourites and want to progress. If we bring good energy and a strong performance to the pitch, we’ll progress to the second round. But we’re up against an opposition who will want to prevent us doing that. That’s why we have to be focused.”

…the Würzburger Kickers: “The first round of the cup is always a challenge. Würzburg are very dominant and strong in the league, so we’ll have to wait and see what their plan is against us. I expect brutal energy from our opponents and also from the crowd. Our job is to make sure the stadium doesn’t come to life.”

…the captaincy question: “The previous captains remain in place. Oliver Baumann will continue to wear the armband, while Grischa Prömel will talk to the referee on the pitch.”

…the cup game in Würzburg in 2019: “I watched on from the stands back then. We progressed in a penalty shoot-out, tomorrow we want to do so with more ease.”

The personnel situation:

Ozan Kabak’s rehabilitation is going as planned, but he will not be an option this year. David Jurásek and Finn Becker are expected to return to training in two to four weeks. Ihlas Bebou is undergoing further examinations, which is why there is currently no prognosis for his return. Umut Tohumcu, Tom Bischof and Marco John will rejoin team training next week. Stanley Nsoki is back in team training, but has missed the entire preseason and will need a few more weeks to get up to speed. Mergim Berisha could be an option for the squad as early as Friday, this will be decided after a consultation with the medical team.

The opposition’s form:

Würzburg have already played four games in the Bavarian Regionalliga, picking up seven points so far. Their most recent game was a 5-0 win over Ansbach at the weekend.

Head-to-head record:

Five years ago, TSG and Würzburger Kickers faced each other in the first round of the cup. After the score was tied at 3-3 after 120 minutes, Hoffenheim prevailed in a penalty shoot-out (5-4) to make it through to the second round.