VfL Wolfsburg still have three matches to play in the 2018/19 campaign and the outlook is positive going into Saturday's clash with Nürnberg (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Following last week's 4-1 victory over TSG Hoffenheim, the Green-Whites are well placed to qualify for European football next term. In order to make that dream a reality, another win is needed this time around. At his pre-match press conference on Thursday, VfL head coach Bruno Labbadia addressed…
… the personnel situation: "William's suspension means things don't really look much better than they have in recent weeks. None of the players who missed out last week were able to take part in full training this week. I just want the team to show the same belief and energy as they did last Sunday and to look forward to the match."
…how to approach the game: "Nuremberg will throw everything into the match. They've had some decent results recently. It'll be a very demanding game for us because they still have a chance of avoiding relegation. They'll play the same way they did against Bayern Munich. We know what to expect, without wanting to talk them up unnecessarily. It'll come down to performing well and throwing all our energy into the game again."
… Pavao Pervan as Koen Casteels' replacement in goal: "I've had absolute faith in Pavao right from the start. He's always trained as if he he's going to play and that's paid off. He exudes calm and although it's not easy to replace someone like Koen, he's done so very well thus far."
…the pressure of fighting for European qualification: "It's fantastic that we're in this situation. It's very different to battling against relegation, because in that case it's not just the team that's at stake, but the whole club. There's a lot more pressure involved because people's jobs can be affected, so that's why I view our current situation as a positive thing. This team deserves all the support it gets."
