TSG vs. S04, not Nagelsmann vs. Tedesco

“When you lose 3-0, you’re disappointed. And rightly so, in the end we had our chances,” said Domenico Tedesco, looking back on the defeat to Bayern Munich. This loss hasn’t, however, dampened his positive attitude. “Our development hasn’t stagnated. Quite the opposite – we’ve discussed and analysed the game against Bayern. Despite losing deservedly, we saw some positive things and we’ll try to improve the negatives.” The 32 year old was maybe alluding to the composure that his team lacked in the final third against the record champions.

The coach does not want to put too much importance on the Naldo handball, which has been much discussed in the last few days. “There were other reasons for the loss,” explained Tedesco, who nevertheless wants clarity: “It’s about understanding the rule so we can tell our players, as they’re also asking, ‘was it a handball or not?’. Not knowing is not good.”

Fortunately, Tedesco understands more about his side’s next opponents. “TSG have a clear game plan and have strong characters with a good mentality. You need that to turn around a 2-0 deficit in Mainz and win 3-2,” said Tedesco, who is particularly impressed by Hoffenheim’s quick attacking play. “They play with a lot of pace in the final third. I’m not just talking about their quick players, but also their combination play. They do that really well, so we’re expecting a challenge of a similar difficulty as against Bayern.”

In Kraichgau, both of the current youngest coaches in the Bundesliga will face each other. Tedesco got his badges with Nagelsmann in 2016, but is that an advantage for Saturday’s game? “It cancels itself out. Julian hasn’t spoken recently, but unfortunately I’ve given something away,” commented the Royal Blue head coach. But for him, the reunion with Nagelsmann is not in the foreground. “It’s not Nagelsmann vs. Tedesco, but rather Hoffenheim vs. Schalke.”
To contest the match successfully, “it’s decisive that we defend the space and not the players, as TSG constantly try to create gaps with reverse runs,” warned Tedesco. Whether Nabil Bentaleb will play a part, will be decided shortly. “Nabil missed training. He has a slight muscle problem, but it is possible for him to be available on Saturday,” revealed Tedesco. On the other hand, Alessandro Schöpf will not be at the coach’s disposal, as he still has not re-joined team training.