Ahead of Tuesday’s game away at VfL Bochum (20:30 CET), head coach Daniel Farke spoke to the media at BORUSSIA-PARK. Read on for a full summary of his most important quotes.
Daniel Farke on…
…the squad: We will need to make several late decisions. Yann Sommer won’t be ready in time, but there’s a chance he could make the Dortmund game. Things are looking good for Nico Elvedi and he’s feeling much better. He trained individually yesterday, and if he gets through final training okay, he'll travel to Bochum. The same goes for Tony Jantschke, who suffered a knock to his hip flexor against Stuttgart. As long as he gets through today’s session feeling okay, then both Nico and Tony will travel to Bochum with the team.
…Borussia’s game plan for tomorrow’s game: There are no easy games in the Bundesliga. We want to build on the win against Stuttgart, but also know that we are up against a tough opponent in Bochum. We need to be clinical, both up front and in defence.
…the Foals‘ winless run away from home in the Bundesliga this season: We have put in good away performances in Munich and Freiburg, for example, but we've lacked that final punch needed to get the win. We want to change that in Bochum. We will need to be clinical and match them physically, while also remaining unaffected by the home crowd. We need to play with passion and be physical. If we manage that, then we will always have a good balance in our game.
…VfL Bochum: We are coming up against a team that is very familar with being in a relegation battle. Bochum are well aware of what is at stake. They know their current situation well and have gotten off to a tough start. They have managed to steady the ship of late, especially at home. They have taken seven points from their last three games, deservedly beating both Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin. They are a strong side at home and are very aggressive, with solid support from their terraces.
…Lars Stindl being named on the bench against Stuttgart: As a coach, having to leave out good players is more of a positive thing than a dilemma.. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Lars out of the starting XI against Stuttgart, because he was one of our best players in the previous match against Union. We felt it was the right decision, however, because we wanted to take a slightly different approach to the game. The way he took it and pushed the team shows just what a fantastic character he has. I’m very happy to have a player and person like Lars at the club.
…the upcoming winter break: The period after the Dortmund game without training will focus on individual work. We will then pick up preparations for the second half of the season in mid-December. We're not planning a training camp at the moment, but I wouldn't rule anything out.
