Pellegrino Matarazzo on…
…the lessons from the Lyon game: “You can always carry forward momentum. After the St. Pauli game, we got back up again and produced a good performance on the pitch against Lyon. We have only two days between Lyon and Augsburg, so regeneration is in order. We want to produce a top performance on Sunday.”
…the team spirit: “I don’t need to emphasise it any more, because you can see that we’re a unit on the pitch. We work well together, we communicate well and we’re making progress. There are also setbacks such as the match against St. Pauli but that’s also normal in life.”
…the late goal conceded against Lyon: “I would’ve found it a shame if we had come away with nothing. But it was fitting for our situation that we then came back again. It speaks volumes about the character of this team.”
…the talented youngsters who are now taking on lots of responsibility: “It’s not only the young players who are assuming responsibility. You also have to grow into it. Tom, for example, has taken a big step forward and Umut has also already demonstrated that he can take on responsibility. Max is doing it at a young age too. It’s a sign of character to have the courage to lead the way.”
…FC Augsburg: “They’re a very unpleasant opponent. They go forward very quickly and are capable of playing high. We will need an energetic performance in order to take points on Sunday.”
The opposition’s form:
Augsburg might have lacked consistency this season, but they’re enormously strong on home turf. Jess Thorup’s team have taken 10 points from their first five home games, including a (2-1) victory against Borussia Dortmund in their most recent home game.
Head-to-head record:
FC Augsburg are TSG Hoffenheim’s favourite foe. Hoffenheim have won 50% of their 38 head-to-head meetings to date. Hoffenheim do not have a higher win percentage against any other current Bundesliga club that they have faced on more than one occasion.