The Wolves' clash with Bremen on Sunday (kick-off 18:00 CET) brings the curtain down on Bundesliga Matchday 24. VfL have picked up an impressive ten points from the last 12 available, but will be wary of their visitors, who are yet to taste defeat since the turn of the year. At his pre-match press conference on Friday, head coach Bruno Labbadia gave his thoughts on…
…personnel: "The only player who still isn't 100 per cent is Robin Knoche, who's had an upset stomach. We sent him home as a precaution yesterday and he's resting today. But he's a tough cookie and I'm assuming he'll be able to play."
… the team's current situation: "We're certainly in a better situation than Werder Bremen, but that's something we've worked hard for. Nevertheless, it'll be a game between two equal teams. Bremen are a really good side whose players give them lots of variety; everyone's able to play in different styles. I think it'll be a match on equal terms and little details will be decisive."
… the atmosphere in the team: "We're happy and relaxed, but also fully focused. I could see that in training yesterday. There'll be more fans in the stadium, which we're really looking forward to. All of those are good indicators. If the sun comes out as well, we'll be happy all round."
… the perceived difficulties playing at home and the significance of the 3-0 win over Mainz in the last game at the Volkswagen Arena: "Every game in the Bundesliga is crucial, regardless of whether you're playing home or away. The important thing is that we pick up points. There's nothing better than winning, so it doesn't matter where we do it. Still, I think the Mainz game was a very important one for us, both psychologically and in terms of overcoming an opponent that made life very difficult for us. We obviously want to build on that."
