Hjulmand ahead of #B04RBL: With ‘fire, focus and intensity’ against Leipzig

"We have three games left to achieve our Champions League target. We all have a shared responsibility for the fire, the focus and the intensity on the pitch. Whether it’s for one minute or 90, we have to go all out and give our best for ourselves, the club and the fans. And do it every day, in games and training sessions," said Kasper Hjulmand at the pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Hjulmand: "it will be an open and close game"

When asked what else the Dane wants to see from his team, he said: "We have a philosophy: before the tactical and match content, it is always important to me that the players show the right mentality, body language, intensity and sharpness. Those are the basics. That always has to be there. And then there are tactical options in the game."

Hjulmand had this to say about Leipzig, who have recently won five games in a row and could now secure Champions League football in 2026/27 with a win: "Leipzig are in good form. They're a great team who are fast in transition and play good football. But our aim, as always, is to play our own game. It will be an open game, a close game."

The Dane will have to manage without Lucas Vázquez against Leipzig. There are question marks over the appearances of Christian Kofane and Mark Flekken. The home sections are sold out and 1,800 fans are expected from Leipzig.

Hjulmand on Tapsoba documentary: "i could see why Eddy is Eddy"

The final topic of discussion at the press conference was Edmond Tapsoba, who is the subject of a documentary produced by Bayer 04 this week. And he has just agreed a contract extension to 2031. Hjulmand on the key player: "We are very happy he’s here. He joined Bayer 04 six years ago and has made a great development since then. He is incredibly valuable to us and he gets on very well with all the players and the entire staff. For me, a contract extension is sometimes almost more valuable than a new signing. Eddy is a player who knows the club. That's a great positive sign for his team-mates and the fans. It's come at a great time."

Hjulmand said of the documentary: "It's a wonderful film and a great story. It's always interesting for me to see a personality behind the players. I've worked with a lot of African players in my career. In this film I could see very clearly why Eddy is Eddy. He's a top player and a very good person."