Hjulmand ahead of #B04SCF: ‘Want to bounce back’

"Ideally, we'd like to play tomorrow," said Kasper Hjulmand on Friday, full of anticipation for the next game - also in order to show a reaction to the 7-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain during the week as quickly as possible. "We analysed the game in detail, as we always do. Now we're just looking ahead, we're moving on. We want to give something back to our fans on Sunday; their support against PSG was phenomenal. We're very grateful for that."

The Dane also senses a good feeling in the dressing room because of this support, "also because of the last few Bundesliga games (three wins in a row, ed.). Everyone wants to 'bounce back'. We have to win and we want to win."

Praise for SCF: ‘What they do, they do well’

In SCF, the Werkself will come up against a team who are brimming with confidence. Apart from two defeats in the Bundesliga in August, Freiburg are unbeaten across all competitions. Their most recent outing was a 2-0 home win against Utrecht in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. Hjulmand on the Breisgau side: "What they do, they do well. They're very structured, fire in a lot of crosses and are strong in the tackle. In Grifo, they also have an excellent set-piece specialist in their ranks, just as we do with Grimaldo."

Hjulmand: Hofmann "very intelligent and experienced"

With regard to his own team selection, Hjulmand also stressed that "we need all the players". Compared to the UCL clash against PSG, not only Jonas Hofmann and Martin Terrier could make a return to the squad, but also Jarell Quansah and Patrik Schick, who were recently sidelined through injury. "We believe it'll happen, but it's not final yet," said Hjulmand. Lucas Vázquez and Nathan Tella, on the other hand, will definitely miss the game.

When asked about Hofmann and his strong performance in the 4-3 win at Mainz a week earlier, Hjulmand said: "Jonas is a very intelligent player with a lot of experience, not only here in Leverkusen, but also in the Bundesliga in general and in the national team. He's also characterised by his timing and ball control."

Another player who was discussed at the press conference was keeper Mark Flekken. The Dutchman is also "in a competitive situation like every other player in the squad. Of course, ten goals conceded in two games is a lot. But defending is just as much a collective issue as attacking. It's about positional play and clear structures in every position. Mark's qualities are unmistakable and his will to improve every day is huge. We have full confidence in him."

Hofmann and Flekken, but also other players alongside Robert Andrich and Alejandro Grimaldo, are part of the ‘captain's team’ mentioned by Hjulmand a few weeks ago. The Dane: "This also includes players like Eddy (Tapsoba, ed.), Loïc (Badé), Aleix (Garcia), Patrik (Schick) and Pala (Palacios). They all have to and want to take on responsibility. That's the only way it can work."