The Wolves current sporting situation is a precarious one. Following the recent 1-2 defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, VfL head-coach Bruno Labbadia's men must continue to keep a watchful eye on the places immediately behind them. Level on points with Mainz, who currently fill the relegation play-off place, the Green-Whites find themselves well and truly locked in the relegation battle. This coming Saturday, March 10th (kick-off 15:30 CET) the Wolves travel to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. At Thursday's pre-match press conference, the VfL coach spoke about…
…the upcoming opponent: TSG were by no means spectacular during their 2-0 win against Augsburg, but they held a good basic shape in securing their success. They can do things differently too though: During the 1.1 draw with SC Freiburg, they did a great deal on the attack - Hoffenheim are flexible and have a well-oiled unit that can play football. In the end, the decisive factor will be how we go about the task and implement our strengths. Ultimately, it will be important for us to play with more discipline and generate more penetrative power.
…the personnel situation: Ignacio Camacho, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Felix Uduokhai have slowly become more involved during the course of this week, but none of them will have any role to play in the up-coming game. Until mid-week, Josuha Guilavogui, Gian-Luca Itter and Yunus Malli were unable to train completely - although they are options for the weekend. Victor Osimhen didn't train at all this week and is still suffering from muscular problems.
…Divock Origi: I have been dealing with Divock lately on a daily basis. There were indications in training and during one or two discussions we had, so I wanted to see what was going on inside him and how he is feeling. But it was also about what I require from him. In the last two games, he hasn't shown what he is capable of and what he has displayed in the past.
…the current sporting situation: We need to be very aware of the situation we find ourselves in and that we can only get out of it as a functioning unit. We can best help ourselves if we all pull together. There is no point dwelling on the past. We are now in a position that, for me, is all about helping VfL. Above all else, I hope we see the team get the necessary support over the ninety minutes - even if and when things go wrong. I said right from the start that we shouldn't just expect that. The impulse must come from the team.
… Elvis Rexhbecaj: Elvis is doing very well. It's clear that he is eager and determined to recommend himself through training. That was the case from the outset. The advantage with him is that he can play in several positions and approaches his tasks with real passion. However, there is a difference between training and the Bundesliga. In our current situation, he does lack experience.
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