"Every game is as important as the last"
RBL head coach Domenico Tedesco speaks about the Bundesliga home game against TSG Hoffenheim in his pre-match press conference | Direct battle for Champions League qualification in the Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening
Domenico Tedesco on...
...TSG Hoffenheim's personnel issues:
"It's obviously never easy for you as a coach when so many players are unavailable. Alongside a number of suspensions, they're also missing a few players due to positive Covid tests. Nevertheless, Hoffenheim's sqaud depth will allow them to put out a starting line-up that can cause us real problems.
You've got the likes of Diadie Samassekou, Christoph Baumgartner, Andrej Kramarić and Pavel Kadeřábek to just name a few of the players available who have already played a big part in them being where they are in the table."
...Sunday's game plan:
"We need to have the ball as much as possible against TSG - that will help us a lot. Creating some dangerous situations and goalscoring opportunities through possession will benefit our game a great deal too. We will also have to make sure we're closing down that space between the midfield and defence well too. Hoffenheim play a lot of crosses from deep that we will have to defend well in the first place, but we also have to make sure we deal with the second ball as well."
Every game in April is important!
Domenico Tedesco on...
...ending the run of home draws:
"We've drawn at home against Freiburg, Frankfurt, Real Sociedad and now Atalanta, but they have all been very different games. I feel that we ought to have taken all three points against Freiburg and Frankfurt. Sociedad were very shrewd in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs; they kept hold of the ball, hardly played any risky passes and really slowed the tempo of the game. We went behind against Atalanta, but we came back well and showed what we're capable of.
The odd fan perhaps whistling or jeering after 15 minutes isn't an issue for us. Even if it has surprised a couple of our younger players, we know the kind of football we can play, and we loving playing in front of our supporters here at our stadium!"
...the Europa League quarterfinal first leg:
"I watched the game against Atalanta back right after full time, but also once again this morning. It was a good football match - actually, I think it was an amazing game for the fans as it was a real end-to-end affair. However, Atalanta's robustness and cleverness caught us off guard at times. We will need to be intelligent once again in the second leg and play our cards right. We really want to reach the next round."
...Sunday's crunch match:
"The focus is now solely on Sunday's game. With our fixture schedule with games across three competitions, we're avoiding putting too much emphasis on any single match. Every game this month is important and we're incredibly happy and proud to have gotten ourselves into this position in the first place. We know that it will be a real battle for the European places right up until the final matchday and we won't shy away from it!"
...André Silva:
"André is a top player who is playing really well. He has a lot of qualities, particularly in the box. We don't just measure his performances by goals, although of course it's easier for him when he's scoring. He is a very ambitious player and he doesn't need to let his head drop because of a missed penalty.
A player like him is at his best when he's fresh, so he will no doubt get a rest at some point to give him a chance to recharge his batteries."
Team news ahead of #RBLTSG
- Yussuf Poulsen has recovered from his groin injury and will be back in the squad for the home game against Hoffenheim.
- Tyler Adams will also be an option again after shaking off his bruised thigh.
- Amadou Haidara remains sidelined with an MCL injury in his knee.