Pellegrino Matarazzo on…
…1. FC Union Berlin: “They did not have a good start to the season but have stabilised under their new coach. Union defend with passion in unity; in attack, they rely on their switch play and their strength from set-pieces. It’s not easy to score a goal from open play against Union. Only Bayern Munich have managed to score against them from open play in recent weeks; all other goals have come from counter-attacks or set-pieces.”
…his belief in a victory: “We will defend and bring the attitude onto the pitch that we showed against Köln. We’ll be more flexible in our attacking play and show greater efficiency again. That’s why we’ll win.”
…his supposedly defensive style of play: “It’s important to me to be good defensively in every game. We’ve conceded too many goals in the past. You can always take more risks during a match. If we’d taken our chances against Köln and won 2-0, everyone would be speaking a mature performance.”
…pressure before the match: “I feel pressure in every game, I’m aware of our situation too. But it’s not advantageous to feel the pressure in our day-to-day operations. You still need room to make decisions. Otherwise, you’re not able to act. It’s about finding the right balance between tension and relaxation. I feel a close connection to my players.”
…Andrej Kramarić: “I spoke to him in the past week and told him he wouldn’t be in the starting line-up. He wasn’t happy about it, of course, because he’s a total professional who always wants to be on the pitch. Then he came on and scored the goal. Every player who comes on has to prove to me that he deserves to start. He’s also training really well this week.”
…Pavel Kadeřábek: “Pavel is an extraordinary person with an extraordinary attitude to the game. He runs until he can no more. At the same time, he is capable of putting a lot of things into perspective and having a positive view of everything. He’s a very valuable player for us in the squad and in games.”
…David Jurásek: “David has performed well in his first minutes for us. He has needed some time to settle in. He’s a player who can cover an extreme amount of ground and he understands the game too. I’m happy he’s here.”
The personnel situation:
Long-term injury absentees Marco John and Mergim Berisha will remain sidelined. John Anthony Brooks will return from his suspension. Dennis Geiger has amassed more game time in the U23s and could return to the squad. Marius Bülter continues to be out of action with an infection and is still doubtful, while there is still a question mark over Florian Grillitsch, who is suffering from knee problems.
The opposition’s form:
1. FC Union Berlin have won two of their six matches in the new calendar year, while there have been two draws and two defeats too. The Köpenick outfit beat VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 last week.
Head-to-head record:
TSG have the narrowly superior head-to-head record: Hoffenheim have won four times in nine matches, Union three times. TSG have won the last two games (2-0, 4-2).