Maaßen: “We have to be present and alert"
Evening game against Hoffenheim on matchday 21
First Team
16.02.2023, 13:42
It’s thirteenth against fourteenth on Friday evening (20:30 CET), as FC Augsburg once again take on a team next to them in the table in the shape of TSG Hoffenheim. Enrico Maaßen’s men want put in a performance at home to help to put the last week’s defeat behind them.
“We all know that the game in Mainz wasn’t good – but, we have spoken clearly about things and worked through them,” said Maaßen. Last matchday, FCA succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in Mainz, with the team's own errors bringing about their defeat. Now, FCA are back in front of their home crowd again, where they recently have been able to achieve two 1-0 wins in a row against Leverkusen and Gladbach.
In Hoffenheim, they are facing an opponent at the WWK ARENA who have only achieved a single point from five games this year. The team lost 3-1 against Leverkusen in the first game for new head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2020 with VfB Stuttgart. Maaßen, however, warns about how dangerous Hoffenheim are, and turned the focus onto FCA’s own performance, “We have to improve in all areas to win against Hoffenheim.”
"It gives us an enormous boost"
The FCA head coach is expecting a close game under the floodlights which will come down to being prepared for difference scenarios. “We have to be present and alert and not allow Hoffenheim and their individual quality into the game,” said Maaßen, who is counting on the loud support of the fans once again. “It gives us an enormous boost and motivates us a lot.”
FCA will have to do without Niklas Dorsch, who will be absent due to illness. Ruben Vargas, Iago and Reece Oxford have completed parts of team training this week. Whether they will be ready to return to the squad is still unclear. The same goes for Mads Petersen, who was injured in the Mainz game and could only take part in certain bits of training.
