‘We know how important it is'

"I realised early on, as a player in 1989, that derby games against FC Köln are something special and that the whole city talks about it," said Heiko Herrlich in response to a question about the Rhine clash. "Our players know how important it is. They'll do everything they can to give the fans three points."
FC Köln win in DFB Cup
After a run of 12 games without a win, FC Köln progressed to the DFB Cup Round of 16 – a performance that did not surprise Bayer 04 head coach Herrlich: "Köln are better than their position in the table suggests. They've had several games where they’ve played very well and were unlucky to lose." The win gives the team from Cologne a boost and they are "sure to go into the game with increased confidence."
Herrlich describes the strengths of the opposition as follows: "They are very well-organised and not easy to break down – and they are capable of hitting you on the break. They showed those qualities against Hertha Berlin and that's how they will try to play here."
"We must stick to our game"
The fact that the Werkself have failed in almost every game to assert their approach over the full 90 minutes is down to the opposition, who "try to put us under pressure to force us to make mistakes," but it's important to maintain performance levels at the maximum. And to stick to our game, "playing with focus and organisation," added Herrlich.
Question marks over the Benders
Kevin Volland, who injured his ankle in the away game at Mönchengladbach, returned to training on Thursday and was able to "complete most of the session." He didn't complain of any problems after training. Herrlich: "Nothing stands in the way of him playing." It does not look as good for Sven Bender with the head coach waiting for the final pre-match training session where he "hopes for the best." There is also a slight worry about his twin brother Lars who suffered a knock in training. "But anybody who knows Lars will also know: He definitely wants to play and will do everything he can to be on the pitch tomorrow."
Full house at the BayArena
Bayer 04 are expecting a capacity crowd at the BayArena tomorrow with just a few tickets left for the home section. The tickets office is recommending purchasing tickets online, by phone or from the fan shop as there is no guarantee that tickets will be available on matchday.