“We’re preparing for an intensive game” | OneFootball

Ahead of this weekend’s match at TSG Hoffenheim, Dino Toppmöller discusses team news, his views on the opposition, and the depth of his squad.

Dino Toppmöller on …

… the trip to Hoffenheim: “We’re preparing for an intensive game. We’ve analysed Hoffenheim thoroughly. The way they played in pre-season and how they beat Rostock and Leverkusen is impressive, but we feel we’re ready. Thanks to the confidence we gained on Matchday 1 against Bremen we’re ready for a good game on Saturday.”

… the atmosphere in Sinsheim, with approximately 10,000 Eintracht dans expected: “It’s always nice to have such fantastic support when you play away from home. It’s special for the players during their warm-up and for me doing pre-match interviews to see the stadium half-filled with Eintracht fans. We’re looking forward to it and want to repay their support out on the pitch.”

… the opposition: “Hoffenheim have a very interesting team and have gone through a period of big upheaval. You can clearly see the coach’s impact on the way they’re playing now. Hoffenheim were always good at football but they play with a different kind of intensity now. They’ve got a different identity.”  … team news: “Kauã Santos isn’t available for Saturday. In Ellyes Skhiri’s case, we’ll have to wait until training tomorrow. With Kauã, we’ll monitor his development during the international break and then decide what to do in goal in Leverkusen. With Nathaniel Brown, the guideline last week was that he could definitely play for 45 minutes. He’ll be able to play longer now, so that makes him a candidate for the starting line-up.”

… the defence: “We’re playing in three competitions this season so we’ll need everyone we’ve got – we can’t go through the campaign with 11 players. That's why we need a strong and deep squad if we’re to meet our expectations. Last season showed just how important that is when Robin Koch was out for four weeks, Rasmus Kristensen for seven, and Nene Brown for six. We’re happy when everyone is fit. I’d much rather have to make tough personnel decisions than not to.”