“It’s now important that we pick up points and get on a roll.”

It’s time for the first home game of the season!

We welcome VfB Stuttgart to the Red Bull Arena on Friday evening (20:30 CEST). Our head coach discussed player availability within his squad and assessed the current Bundesliga leaders during today’s press conference.

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We have summarised Marco’s most important quotes below.

Team news

• Amadou Haidara (muscle injury) and El Chadaille Bitshiabu (MCL tear) aren’t available for selection yet.
   
• Kevin Kampl will take part in full training today. If his final session goes well, then he’ll be in the matchday squad against Stuttgart.
   
• Benjamin Sesko is back in training after his tendon injury. It will be decided after the final session whether he’ll be able to play on Friday.
   
• Péter Gulácsiis on the right track and continues to work towards making a comeback.
   

Marco Rose on…

…VfB Stuttgart

• “We’ve watched their 5-0 win over Bochum. Stuttgart played really well. VfB are a very strong team, who always look to play their way out of trouble and like keeping the ball in the middle of the park. Their wingers really hug the sidelines in the final third.

  Their defence is very versatile and can shift between being a back three and a back four. They’ve always got a clear idea of what they’re doing on the ball. We’ve got a lot of quality to reckon with, especially in one-on-one situationsin the final third. But with our fans behind us, we’ll get chances.”
   

…about Leipzig’s training this week

• “We’ve taken a few things from the Leverkusen game and watched it back together. It was what you’d expect a week of training to look like when you don’t have a midweek game, meaning we could work on our fitness again.

  We played ten-a-side games and went through a few tactics.”
   

Marco Rose on…

…RBL’s build-up play under pressure

• “Playing out from the back is always tricky when the opposition are pressing and blocking passingchannels. It’s a really important skill. The opposition work in a way that targets individuals which makes things fundamentally difficult. I think every team in the world has their own issues.

  Teams that do that extremely well aren’t usually pressed high up the pitch themselves. If you don’t have a left-footed player on the left flank, things get even harder. But Willi is a really tidy player in this regard. It’s also for this reason that we’ve brought in Castello. We managed to bypass the opposition press a few times in Leverkusen and then managed to get the ball into threatening areas. We’ll continue to work on this.”
   

…the first home game at the Red Bull Arena

• “We can finally play in front of a full house again for this first time since we won the DFB-Pokal and the Supercup. We feel at home when our fans are with us. We know that they’re all behind us when we’re out there on the pitch.

  Even now at the beginning of the season, it’s important for us to get some pre-match praise. Tomorrow, we’ve got to stick together and get through tough phases of the game as a unit.

  But that’s part and parcel of playing a game and getting through a season. It’s worked well up to now and, because of that, I’m confident that we can once again be a real force to be reckoned with at home. Getting a result in Leipzig against us and against our fans must be difficult.”
   

…Timo Werner’s position

• “We are taking the same approach with him as we did last season. It’s preferable for him to be out wide on the touchline out of possession so that he is able to press. In principle, he then switches position with Dani Olmowhen we have the ball.

  As a result, Dani is able to find himself in the half spaces more often rather than operating at the very top of the pitch.Timo then operates as he has always done so. He plays as a central striker and has space that he can use to his own advantage. He finds himself in a central position rather than out wide on the touchline. His role is the same as it was last season.”
   

Marco Rose on…

…the mood within the team

• “Our lives are dependent on results and results determine the team’s morale. We find ourselves in a transitional period and perhaps just need some time. However, we had a great training camp and have already seen that the boys are a good fit for us. We have brought in quality and will continue to be ambitious.

  We just won the Supercup, which we can be proud of. We then followed that up with a defeat away at Leverkusen and you could tell that the boys would’ve liked to have done better. However, we are focused on tomorrow evening. We want to bring energy into the changing room and the stadium itself. It’s important now that we pick up points and get on a roll.”
   

…the Bundesliga compared to other European leagues

• “It goes without saying that there are big differences between domestic leagues as far as their structures and the opportunities that they offer are concerned. But I’m a product of the Bundesliga and feel comfortable as a part of it. We’ve got a lot of competitive sides and I’ll be happy if our clubs perform well in Europe.

  We don’t need to be shy about what we’ve got to offer. Every weekend, it’s the atmosphere that makes the Bundesliga the Bundesliga. You don’t really see it with other leagues. Every weekend, the stadiums are full of amazing fans.”