Despite winning run: Hoeneß shows respect for Dortmund | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund faces a VfB Stuttgart on Saturday that has become a bogey team under Sebastian Hoeneß. Despite an excellent record, the VfB coach warns against underestimating BVB.

Sebastian Hoeneß and VfB Stuttgart will face an opponent on Saturday against whom he has put together an impressive run – but the coach doesn’t want to talk about a “favorite opponent.” While Stuttgart has collected five wins and a draw against Borussia Dortmund under his leadership, Hoeneß says this statistic means little ahead of the clash in Dortmund.

Instead, he emphasizes the growing strength of BVB since coach Niko Kovac took over. Kovac, he says, has “managed to really get things rolling again.” Hoeneß is particularly impressed by Dortmund’s renewed commitment: “The spirit is there, the willingness to push forward, the running stats are impressive.” That’s why he expects one of the toughest challenges of the season: “Playing in Dortmund is one of the most demanding tasks you can face in the Bundesliga.”

Despite his great respect, Hoeneß approaches the encounter with anticipation. Matches against top teams have a special appeal for him: “I enjoy playing against Dortmund because it’s a chance to measure ourselves against the absolute best. That’s fun.” He doesn’t hide the fact that his team could once again become a thorn in BVB’s side: “If we have the chance to annoy them again, we want to take it.”

BVB unrest not a factor? Hoeneß believes Dortmund will be fully focused

VfB travels to Dortmund in fourth place, with six wins from their last seven league games. But to succeed against the third-placed team, who are level on points, the utmost concentration is required. Hoeneß demands: “You have to be very focused, very strong, even in the details. We have to bring absolute commitment if we want to get something there.”

Personnel-wise, the VfB coach is still monitoring the situations of Luca Jaquez and Ramon Hendriks, who were recently sidelined. If they aren’t fit in time, Maximilian Mittelstädt will likely be called upon again in the back three.

Unrest at BVB – for example, due to the recent affair involving Karim Adeyemi – is not seen as a factor by Hoeneß. “I don’t think it has disrupted their preparations,” he says. He is certain that Dortmund will be fully focused on the big match.

Sebastian Hoeneß knows exactly what awaits his team – and yet he remains combative. The game in Dortmund will be tough, but that’s exactly what excites him. At the same time, BVB will do everything they can to defend their place ahead of Stuttgart in the table.

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