Ahead of Saturday evening’s away fixture at Bayern München (18:30 CEST), sporting director Roland Virkus and head coach Daniel Farke took questions from the media at a press conference. We have summarised their most important answers.
Daniel Farke on…
...team news ahead of Bayern: Unless something extraordinary happens, Stefan Lainer will miss out due to his knee problem. Ramy Bensebaini has a flu-like illness and had to train individually on Thursday. He was feeling better than on Wednesday, but we will have to make a relatively late decision as to whether he can play.
...his approach to the game: We are heading to Munich with a lot of respect, but without fear, and we are convinced that we can be competitive if we have a good game in all areas. Parking the bus simply won’t work, Bayern will put on too much pressure. There has to be a balance. We need good phases of possession, which we have managed well in previous games. We have to show this quality once more in Munich, or it’s not going to be easy.
...his sides’ recent success against Bayern: We can’t count on previous success. That does not mean, however that we will be flying the white flag in Bavaria. I firmly believe that our previous victories have sharpened our senses and given us an extra dose of motivation to go out and win.
...Bayern’s dominance in the Bundesliga: No team has really been able to stand up to Bayern so far this season. We know that that we have to deliver if we want to get something out of this game. We are highly motivated, we look forward to this task and want to achieve what nobody has yet managed this season against Bayern.
...his other pre-match considerations… My job is to consider what changes need to be made week by week, and how we can surprise our opponent. I have done that again this week. I think it is important not to adjust our own playing style to that of theirs. Dominance has multiple facets, you can also dominate a game when out of possession, but you can dictate the tempo better when you do have the ball.
Roland Virkus on...
…the Foals’ start to the season: This team still has potential to develop, and the coaching staff are working on that. We have taken seven points from three games, which we would have been happy with before the season started. Bayern are an excellently run club and usually the comparison point for the whole Bundesliga. I think that we can travel to Munich relaxed.
…Gladbach’s transfer market activity: The transfer market is unbelievably tough, but we are prepared for all outcomes. I’m personally pleased that so many players are interested in coming to our club. But there are certain guidelines that we need to stick to. We need to be realistic. We have looked at certain things, and have ideas. If these end up becoming something, then we will act upon it. If not, then we won’t.
…Marcus Thuram and Ramy Bensebaini’s contracts, which expire in 2023: It is very clear that we would like to include Ramy and Marcus in our plans going forward. But I cannot say today what is going to happen. Our goal is that they both play the rest of this season and beyond at our club.
