“We are totally convinced” | OneFootball

Albert Riera spoke ahead of the match against VfB Stuttgart about team news, their opponents and the significance of the match.

The final matchday of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season will see a showdown for European qualification at Deutsche Bank Park. Eintracht are looking to secure their spot in the UEFA Conference League, while their opponents VfB Stuttgart are battling it out for a place in the UEFA Champions League. Kick-off on Saturday 16 May is at 15:30 CEST. At his pre-match press conference, head coach Albert Riera discussed... … team news: “We knew that Nnamdi Collins would be out. Oscar Højlund didn’t train for the last two days as he has a slight injury to his toe, so he’s not available. The rest are available.”

… the significance of Matchday 34: “It’s a final. Eintracht have been in this kind of situation again and again in recent years, in the league and in Europe. The beautiful thing is that we’re still in with a chance. It’s not totally in our hands – we have to win, that’s our target, and this is how we’ve been preparing. We are totally convinced.”

… VfB Stuttgart: “Stuttgart are very offensive, but also really good in one-on-ones. They man-mark in almost every situation, and they’ll force us to play direct into space more that usual. I’ve prepared my team to face a side that has the best stats in the league in terms of duels. It’s not our biggest strength but it’s something we have to be really good on tomorrow, regardless of the fact that our opponents will be looking to challenge us one-on-one across the pitch. We’ll have to have a more direct playing style that we usually do.”

… two keys to success: “First of all, we need to stand up to the best team in the league in duels. I’ve shown the players videos to get them fired up. This is what it’s going to come down to. Secondly, we need to be prepared for the match technically and tactically, but the right mental approach is also going to be important, and that’s something I’ve emphasised. I have a good feeling.”

… the other matches: “If we don’t win, then there’s no need to look at the other scores. We’re just focused on winning. I want the players to be fully concentrated on our performance.”