Head coach Marco Rose speaks ahead of Friday’s Bundesliga home match against Borussia Dortmund (20:30 CET)…
…the squad: Denis Zakaria had a few minor problems against Bremen, but they were gone again after the game, so things are looking for him. Valentino Lazaro, however, will miss out, even though he is on the right path. Rocco Reitz is also having problems with his groin, so he’s not an option for the squad.
…the upcoming opponents: Dortmund were solid in the second half against Leipzig. They didn’t give the impression they were unsured. But every result has an influence on the team. It’s possible Dortmund will come out, furious about their points tally and the defeat to Leverkusen. But it can go either way. The result depends a lot on how we perform and how consistently we can play to our game. Dortmund have a top team, so we will need solid performance, both physically and mentally.
…the match plan for Dortmund: There are plenty of good arguments for playing with the same system as the last games. We’ve played a lot in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 recently, because we’re versatile and have been working well. That’s why we trust what we we’ve been working on in recent weeks and what gives the lads security.
…BVB head coach Edin Terzic: I don’t know Edin Terzic. I’ve only ever seen him as the Dortmund assistant and now he’s a new colleague. The change of coach hasn’t changed the overall quality in the BVB squad. But what they are doing differently now is their energy in defence and on the ball. I think Terzic has been doing very well so far. He appears both objective and emotional on the pitch. But I also think Dortmund played incredible football and were successful under Lucien Favre.
…the importance of the Dortmund game: We want to approach the game positively and with attacking intent. We’ve picked up ten points from four games in 2021, we’re in good condition and the players are giving a good impression. In the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the table and realising we can reach the heights we want to. If you look at the teams around us, you can see it’s very tight. Against Dortmund, we could and want to make a real statement and establish ourselves near the top of the table. That is the impression to lads are making so far, but we need to show that on the pitch as well.
…the targets for the season: We said at the start of the season that we want to go where we have already been. We want to keep developing and be rewarded. It showed that we have high ambitions. Which is why a team against a top team with such quality as Dortmund, who are also direct rivals in the league, is so important.
…the return of Marcus Thuram: The whole affair has been on Marcus’ mind. We said from the start that there’s no way to sugar-coat it. He’s still really sorry and he’ll learn from this. Now he needs to start making headlines with good football. We’ll support him with that and expect him to get stuck in. He knows that we’ve done well without him in recent weeks and that he’s performances before the suspension we’re the best. So, he’ll need to work hard to become a key player in the team again. He will be back in the squad against Dortmund, as he has worked and trained hard.
…Breel Embolo: There’s nothing new to say on this issue. We know that Breel is responsible for the situation, but our position towards him hasn’t changed, even though the media has formed a different opinion. There’s no point in discussing the police or the media to explain opinions. I think this is a job for Breel’s lawyers, as the matter needs to be cleared up honestly and properly. We’re focusing on football and the match against Dortmund. Breel will be in the squad tomorrow, as both his corona tests were negative, like the rest of the team.
