“It’s a knockout game – and we need to treat it like one!”
Second leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff round | RBL travel to San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad | Head coach Domenico Tedesco and striker André Silva talk to the press before the game
The European tour goes on! The second leg of RB Leipzig’s Europa League playoff round tie against Real Sociedad will see Domenico Tedesco’s side travel to the Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián to face the Spanish side on Thursday (18:45 CET).
Ahead of the game, head coach Tedesco and striker André Silva faced questions from the media in a digital press conference. Read on for all the latest from the pair.
Domenico Tedesco on...
… his expectations from Real Sociedad with their home fans behind them:
- "Real Sociedad will definitely come out differently at home, looking to be more attacking. I’m expecting them to want to play in their classic 4-3-3 formation and show a different set of skills they did in the first leg. Of course, they’ll try to keep compact, defend the box well and cause us problems on the counter, just like they did in Leipzig, but they may well be more aggressive on the ball too.
Their fans will definitely push them forward. We’re looking forward to playing in front of fans, the 34,000 home fans but especially the 350 RBL supporters making the trip. No matter who gets onto the pitch for Real Sociedad tomorrow, our opponents’ quality is undeniable. We need to be prepared for everything.”
… a potentially long Europa League night under the lights:
- "It's a knockout game, and you need to go about it in such a way you have enough stamina for the full 90 minutes, plus a potential 30 more of extra time and a penalty shootout. Both sides have to win to get through to the next round – we’ll need a lot of patience as well as a bit of ingenuity. I’m really looking forward to the game – it’ll be interesting to see who has the most staying power at the end of the night.”
… possible squad rotations:
- "It’s the first game in which we have every single player available for selection. It gives us options; we could go for the same starting lineup that we put out against Hertha BSC – all the lads are fit and ready to go – bit we could also make changes in four, five, maybe six positions. I’m not certain on the starting XI just yet, so let’s wait and see – it could be a surprise!"
“Our opponents’ quality is undeniable”
… the things he believes in:
- "We’ve got a lot of players in our squad who are pumped up for the game, and those who are nailed-on to be starting. I can only name eleven players though: communication is key here. I always try to explain my reasoning for each player’s appearance as clearly as possible.
What I believe in is this: When we have so many players available, the deciding factor is that the players give their all on the pitch and leave everything out there, whilst their teammates take some time on the bench. We’ve seen how important substitutes are; they can completely turn games on their heads, and we’ve been doing well in that regard lately. If we all make use of these beliefs, then things can get really fun and can do a lot of good for us.”
… the footballing ability of Christopher Nkunku and Dani Olmo:
- "The love Christo and Dani have for playing football absolutely shines through, and they both have a unique bit of skill, which you can see in the extraordinary things they do, in the final third especially. They’re really been respected and accepted by the team, and both have great character.
We’ve got a few players who belong to that category; the ones who spring to mind as examples are Emil Forsberg, ‘Doudou’ Haidara or even an André Silva. These lads are already doing great things.
You often can’t plan for the things which actually happen in a game. We can only do so much tactical work as coaches and give the lads a bit of guidance, because at the end of the day, it’s all about details: whether you play a pass and the touch is right, and then if the shot finds its way in. We’ve got the good fortune here of having lads who can do those things well, but it can only all come together if the team works as a whole.”
… Marcel Halstenberg:
- "I’ve got high hopes for Marcel Halstenberg’s return. Of course, it’s true that he’s been out for a very long time, but he can do us an equally huge amount of good for us in both the positions he can take up. I really hope, both for us as well as for him, that he’s ready to play in a few short weeks. He’s a really talented player; when I think of ‘Halste’, all the games that come to mind are ones where he was unbelievably good. I’m really excited for him to be back."
André Silva on...
... his strike partners Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku:
- "Every player we have has got a lot of quality. Christo and Dani are very different players, who can give us a lot of possibilities on the pitch. I get on really well with the two of them, and if they can carry on the way they’re doing now then we’ll win a lot of games here for Leipzig."
... expectations from Real Sociedad’s performance in the second leg:
- "We’re expecting them to sit deep again, but it’s always possible that they try to be more attacking with their home fans behind them and try and score some goals. We want to go into the game with just as much energy as the first leg."
... changes since Domenico Tedesco took charge:
- "Thanks to the new coach, we’re in a really good run of form at the moment. That said, I can only speak about the present, and right now things are going well within the team. I think we’re getting stronger step by step and sticking together even better. That’s a big positive!"
They're a very complete team!
... the atmosphere at the Estadio Anoeta:
- "Real Sociedad will definitely want a result in front of their home crowd to get to the next round, but we also want a win. We deserved to earn more in the first leg. We’re expecting an aggressive game from them, but we’ll be prepared and we’ll try and stand up to them."
... the key to winning the game:
- "We simply have to win the game. Whoever scores more goals will get through to the next round. We’ll need to do things a bit differently because of the new away goals rule, but the most important thing will be to play our own game.”
... possible absences in San Sebastián:
- "Even if some players miss out, we’ve got great players who can fill in the gaps. We also don’t know what team we’re going to be coming up against; they’re a very complete side, and if anyone is missing for us, things won’t get any easier."
Squad update:
- Angeliño has recovered from his cold and took part in the final training session of the week on Wednesday. He is an option for the game against Real Sociedad.
- Marcel Halstenberg was able to return to training with the team on Tuesday.