"We have to completely focus on Hoffenheim. I said to my players before the draw yesterday that the Champions League campaign only starts in three weeks time. The only thing that counts now is the Hoffenheim game," said Peter Bosz looking to avoid being distracted by talk about the attractive opponents in Europe's premier club competition. Indeed he expressed the opposite view at the press conference held in the media centre at the BayArena shortly before the final training session. The head coach wanted to set a good example. "When I go to the dressing room, I won't talk about the draw but just about Hoffenheim," said Bosz.
For a good reason: The Black and Reds have made a perfect start to the 57th Bundesliga season with two wins in two games. "We have to carry on," demanded the 55-year-old in looking for another improvement in performance against the team that finished ninth last season. "We improved week by week in the pre-season. Now I've seen that in the competitive matches: Our game against Paderborn was better than the one against Aachen. And I hope our game against Hoffenheim will be better than the last one against Düsseldorf," said the Dutchman who can look back at an impressive seven wins and one draw in the last eight games over the two seasons.
A third win in succession beckons ahead of the forthcoming international break. Peter Bosz and his coaching staff have almost a full squad to choose from. The only absentee for the game against TSG is Joel Pohjanpalo who has only just started rehab training after the reaction in his right foot.
Lars Bender and Co. did not perform well in the last outing against the team from Sinsheim: Last season there were two 4-1 defeats against a TSG side that has seen major changes to the squad over the summer. Back then, Kerem Demirbay and Nadiem Amiri were playing for the Blue and Whites and now, after their move to Leverkusen in the summer, they are set for the first game against the former club. In addition to the former Hoffenheim player Kevin Volland and assistant coach Xaver Zembrod, Saturday brings a reunion for Peter Bosz with a former colleague. Alfred Schreuder, who took over the helm from Julian Nagelsmann, played alongside the Werkself head coach in the Netherlands for Feyenoord (1991 to 1993) as well as NAC Breda (1999). "He was a very intelligent player and you can see that now as a coach too: He loves tactics – his teams have always played good football. With him you can really see that there is an idea behind everything and that he is a coach who develops his players and his team," said Bosz in praising his nine-year younger fellow countryman who was able to celebrate his first win in Germany's top flight last weekend with a last-minute 3-2 victory over Werder Bremen. TSG lost 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt in the first league game of the season..
Match information
Recent results: 1-4 (H), 1-4 (A)
Weather forecast: 32 degrees, sunny
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Berlin)
Live TV broadcaster: Sky Sport
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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