Defiant response against Dortmund? VfB boss Hoeneß backs Deniz Undav | OneFootball

Defeats in Munich and Hoffenheim, a home win against Cologne. VfB Stuttgart have had a mixed start to the new season. Sebastian Hoeneß (44) has therefore worked specifically on tactical details in training. While the match plan for Borussia Dortmund (19 September, 6:30 p.m.) is in place, he is calling for patience with Deniz Undav (30).

Stuttgart looked extremely focused in training during the week and are raring to go for the upcoming task. Hoeneß also confirmed this at the press conference ahead of the BVB match. “We worked on our defensive stability without losing our attacking threat,” he is quoted as saying on the club website. The main focus was on topics such as “support, compactness, intensity, precision and aggression,” the Munich-born coach said.

Before the clash with Borussia Dortmund, Hoeneß is demanding more from his team. Given the difficulty of the task against the side in second place, the VfB coach set out a clear expectation for his players: “Our expectation of ourselves is that we bring many of these aspects onto the pitch at the highest possible level.”

Praise for Kovac and BVB

Hoeneß had high praise for the Black-and-Yellows: “The team is very stable, plays with great clarity and also brings a certain physicality.” With nine points, BVB have taken the maximum possible return. That is “definitely also to the credit” of Niko Kovac (54), he said, praising the work of his opposite number on the bench.

Undav is also likely to be in focus. Despite naming a mammoth squad of 44 players, Jürgen Klopp (59) left out the fan favorite for his debut as Germany head coach. The VfB coach also knows that the dropped national-team striker still has room for improvement at the moment. Hoeneß is not worried, though: “A lot has already been written about it, but of course he can play better — he certainly knows that himself. I know it too, but for me it’s only a matter of time.”

Photo: IMAGO

Against Borussia, Hoeneß is hoping for a defiant response from Undav, who has yet to score in any competition this season. However, he already has four assists to his name. Against the in-form side in second place, he is expected to finally break his duck, because his coach is convinced: “And then it will be the case that he very quickly returns to the spotlight.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.