The Wolves return to Bundesliga action this weekend following the first international break of the 2018/19 season. After beating FC Schalke 04 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in their opening two league games, VfL will hope to register another three points when they welcome Hertha Berlin to the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday 15 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). At Thursday's pre-match press conference, head coach Labbadia offered his thoughts on a range of issues …
... the personnel situation: "Our international players have returned with a clean bill of health, and most of them enjoyed a successful time with their national teams. We're pleased about that and it's good for the atmosphere in the camp. Ignacio Camacho suffered a painful knock to his thigh recently, so he's been taking things a little easier in training. He's not in any danger of missing out on Saturday, though. The same goes for Renato Steffen, who has bruising, but he's a tough cookie and has taken full part in training."
… the Wolves' upcoming opponents: "It's plain to see that Hertha are in good form and very organised, particularly in defence. You can tell because they haven't conceded a goal in their opening two games of the season. They're also very good in transition and have players who are capable of scoring at any time. It'll be an interesting game and I'm excited to see how my players deal with the challenge. Hertha are certain to go into the game with a lot of confidence."
… VfL's new-found goalscoring form: "Something thankfully went 'click' at the tail end of last season, partly due to the many training sessions we'd had up to that point. Our attacking play was much better in the games against Köln and Kiel, and we've managed to carry that confidence into the new season. Then there have been one or two personnel decisions that have helped us. I'm obviously pleased that we pose more of a threat – it can be put down to several reasons."
… his team's impressive start: "I'm not a huge fan of putting a dampener on things when the atmosphere is good. We don't look like taking our foot off the gas, and two victories give us every reason to go into the game with great excitement. If I notice certain things I need to address in the future, I'll do so. At the moment, though, I get the sense that we're all really looking forward to the game against Berlin, and that's the impression I want us to give. It's always easier to face tough opponents when you're in good form."
