“Possible to pick up points there”

On Saturday 27 August, the Wolves are playing at RB Leipzig (kick-off at 15:30 CEST). Matches in Leipzig are among the toughest tasks facing teams in the Bundesliga, and here, Josuha Guilavogui tells us how the Green-and-Whites are preparing for the match and what they need to improve on already this season.

Josuha, the team is still waiting for its first victory this term, but would you agree that you’re one of the winners as far as the start of the season is concerned?

Josuha Guilavogui: “I can’t be totally satisfied with the situation because I’d rather we had more points on the board. But it’s fair to say that I’m very happy on a personal level. It’s great to be part of the team again and to be able to help them out on the pitch, regardless of how much I’ve played or whether or not I’ve scored.”

You’ve featured in all four competitive games so far, playing the full 90 minutes in the last two. To be honest, did you imagine yourself having this kind of role when you came back this summer?

Josuha: “Honestly: no I didn’t. I know how quickly things can change in football. When I moved to Bordeaux, I never thought that I’d end up coming back to Wolfsburg. And once I was back here, I presumed that I’d be leaving VfL again. But it’s turned out to be a wonderful reunion. Other than picking up a few more points, it couldn’t have gone any better.”

What do you think of Leipzig?

Josuha: “It was just two years ago that RB were in the semi-finals of the Champions League, so that tells you all you need to know. Leipzig are a team with a lot of young players who play a highly attractive brand of football, put you under pressure and are very aggressive out there. I see it as a very modern style of football. Together with Bayern and Dortmund, Leipzig are one of the clubs that seem to make it into the Champions League every year. We just need to put all that to one side and show that we can be solid opponents. It is possible to pick up points there – it’s just no easy task.”

Leipzig have also got just the two points so far and like you are looking for their first win. What does that mean for the game on Saturday?

Josuha: “If you look at our season, you’d have expected us to pick up more points by now. Things will be pretty similar for us in Leipzig. The opposition will be playing at home but that will put them under more pressure than us. Pressure’s part of football though, and it won’t make things any easier for us. We need the points just like they do.”

In concrete terms, what do you need to do better than you did against Schalke if you’re going to come away with the win?

Josuha: “I think we need to be even more relaxed and take the handbrake off. In the Bundesliga though, the main thing is to never give up – you need to keep battling it out up to the final whistle. You can still turn it around right up to the last minute – as was illustrated last weekend in Dortmund. Either way, I’m expecting it to be a tight and exciting match.”