“One of the top teams in Europe” | OneFootball

Dino Toppmöller and Jonny Burkardt are looking forward to the game against Atlético, aware they’ll need a top performance against a strong opponent.

After kicking off this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win over Galatasaray A.Ş., Eintracht’s Matchday 2 assignment takes them to Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday evening (kick-off 21:00).

At the pre-match press conference, head coach Dino Toppmöller and striker Jonny Burkardt discussed... …team news

Dino Toppmöller: “In terms of personnel, the situation is really good. Apart from Rasmus Kristensen, we’ve got everyone with us and everyone’s available.”

... Atlético de Madrid

Dino Toppmöller: “Obviously we’re aware they beat Real Madrid 5-2. Atlético have been one of the top teams in Europe for the past decade, perhaps even longer, and they’re always among the candidates to reach the final. They play with unbelievable intensity, especially at home with the energy of their fans and the coach behind them.”

Jonathan Burkardt: “[Julián] Álvarez and [Antoine] Griezmann are both unbelievable players and they’ve both won the World Cup. But my focus, and that of the team, is primarily on our own game, which is more important. I’m confident that we have a chance to beat any opponent.”

…how things stand

Dino Toppmöller: “We’re ready. We’ll need to stay disciplined, play with focus, avoid getting dragged into little scuffles, and put in a top team performance. If we want to get something from the game we have to give it everything we've got.”

Jonathan Burkardt: “I’m really looking forward to my second Champions League game. It’ll be a very cool evening for our team to gain experience and hopefully to get a good result. I think it’s going to be very loud. I can’t wait to play in that atmosphere.”

…Eintracht’s chances

Dino Toppmöller: “We want it to be an open game, but we know we’re the underdogs. Atlético have a lot of power in attack and they’ve got some individuals with incredible quality. We’ll have to defend as a unit and attack as a unit. It’ll be a great test for our young team to compete here.”

Jonathan Burkardt: “I feel really good and I’m ready. Scoring a couple of goals has done me a lot of good, and I’m feeling more and more a part of the team. I'm really enjoying myself right now.”