Alonso ahead of #SVSB04: ‘We need the same professionalism as against Ottensen'

"Cup games are always something special. This one match decides whether we can go through or not. It's a long way to the final and we have to take it step-by-step. We made a good start against Ottensen and we want to maintain that level. We need maximum concentration for the match against Sandhausen. We'll give 100%," declared coach Alonso at the start of the press conference.

Alonso: "we are in a very intense phase"

SV Sandhausen, who appointed the former Schalke 04 head coach Jens Keller a few days ago, are definitely not to be underestimated by the Werkself. "We have respect for Sandhausen. They played very well against Hannover (4-2, First round of the DFB Pokal, ed.). We'll definitely have to play with the same professionalism as we did against Ottensen," said Alonso.

In addition, the Spaniard announced personnel changes for the game against Sandhausen. "We’ll change things around a bit. We are in an intense phase at the moment. We need every player for us to be able to progress in every competition. That's exactly why we had the clear approach to the squad in the summer. It was important for us to bring in several players of high quality for nearly every position. We did that and that means every player now gets a chance for a break and time to recover," said Spanish coach.

3,000 Bayer 04 Fans in Sandhausen

The Werkself can once again look forward to great support on the road. Given the demand for tickets, Bayer 04 endeavoured to obtain a bigger allocation ahead of the cup tie. 3,000 Bayer 04 fans are set to travel to Sandhausen tomorrow. Standing tickets are still available with the ticket office at the ground opening at 16.30 CET. According to SV Sandhausen, 9,000 to 10,000 fans are expected to attend the match, Sky will broadcast the tie live and the game will also be available free of charge on Werkself Radio.