Hütter: “It‘s massively important”

Head coach Adi Hütter and sporting director Max Eberl spoke to the media ahead of the away game in the Bundesliga at 1. FC Köln on Saturday (15:30 CET).

Head coach Adi Hütter on...

...the squad: Stevie Lainer has been back in team training for two weeks now, so he has a good chance of being in the squad on Saturday.  Nico Elvedi was out for around three weeks and has also returned to training, and things are looking good for him too. Chris Kramer has completed parts of training and also took part in bits yesterday. I don’t think it’ll be long before Breel Embolo is available again. Jordan Beyer and Tony Jantschke are still injured. We’re on the right track regarding our injured players.

...the current state of play: The Bundesliga table is really close right now. Köln, unlike us, had a good start to the season – we took a while to get going. Thankfully though, we’ve started to catch up now. We’re now going for the next three points. A win would be great and a defeat would be unpleasant, not just for the table.

...the significance of the derby: I’ve experienced several interesting derbies during my long career of over 30 years in football. When you compare them all, Köln against Borussia is right up there. It’s a match full of history between two clubs with rich traditions. There have been a number of entertaining clashes over the years. This match is massively important, you want to leave the pitch as derby winners as well as with the three points. To do that, we will need to perform well and go into the game with our best possible team.

...the upcoming opponents: The impressive thing about Effzeh is that they have a clear style of play. They play high up the pitch, they are really aggressive and they try to build up lots of pressure in the opposition half. They are also really good at winning the ball back. We need to be prepared for their press and we will need to deal with that. They are strong in the tackle and play right up until the final whistle.

...the tactics for the game: We know that Anthony Modeste is really dangerous in the box and great in the air. As a result of that, we will need to keep things secure on the wings and try and prevent them putting crosses in. I’m also focusing on our own game too, on how we can cause them problems. We need to play at a high tempo, be aggressive and get stuck in. We’ve got lots of strengths and we obviously want to bring them into play. On top of that, we have to ensure they cannot utilise their strengths.

...the absence of Timo Horn: That doesn’t mean much for us. It can often be dangerous when a goalkeeper comes in for the first time and plays without any real pressure. It’s certainly not a big topic for us. It won’t be easy for the lad who comes in to be playing in a derby for the first time though.

...extra motivation before a derby: We’re always motivated for every game. There’s no doubt that this game has a special meaning to it. I don’t think that the players will need to be made aware of the importance. It’s vital that they remain calm and collected. There will be enough emotions during the game anyway. All the players will want to win this game and we’ve got enough quality to do that. I won’t have to motivate any of the lads for this match.

...the situation up front: Breel Embolo currently isn’t in the squad, but in Marcus Thuram, we’ve got enough powerful striker back. We’ve scored a few goals recently and also played some good football at times. I’m spoilt for choice when everyone is available.

Sporting director Max Eberl on...

...the derby: I’m looking forward to the game. The atmosphere is always great and it’s always a real spectacle. I’m excited for a real battle on the pitch and the support both teams deserve from the stands.

...his favourite derby memory: I’ve seen a number of derbies against Effzeh and have lots of good memories of them. One of them was at their old ground, the Müngersdorfer stadion, when our fans held up a banner listing all of our away wins there as we beat them once again.

...1. FC Köln: I‘m not sure if this is their strongest team of recent years. Having Steffen Baumgart as coach is a good fit for FC and this combination is key to the team’s success. We’ve already seen how well it can work this season. We’ll have to throw all we’ve got at them to try and win the game.

...Granit Xhaka: The fact that Granit had a great time here, which is what we’d hoped when we signed him, really pleases us. He’s still got a close connection to the club and the region here. We speak now and again. It’s always nice when players speak positively about the club.

Head coach Adi Hütter at the press conference.
Sporting director Max Eberl talks about the derby.

25.11.2021

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