Hjulmand ahead of #B04VfB: ‘Love these games against top teams’

"We've come back well from the break. I've felt a good energy in training this week. The lads are feeling great and we're ready for the next phase and, of course, the game tomorrow. Taking three points on Saturday would be ideal," said Kasper Hjulmand at the start of the press conference.

Hjulmand on top match: "we'll see where we are"

Hjulmand rates VfB Stuttgart, who have always had close and hard-fought duels with Bayer 04 in the recent past, as a "top team". "It will be a special game. Both teams play on the front foot with a lot of pressing and lots of ideas. VfB are a great team with a great coach. We're really looking forward to it and I love these games against top teams. They offer the opportunity to gain some breathing space in the table if we win and, above all, they're an excellent opportunity to learn something. We can see where we are and where we need to improve."

Speaking of improvement: When asked whether the team could still improve, Hjulmand said: "We can always improve. I still see great potential. It's not easy to set new tactical directions with such a tight schedule, but this team can definitely take further steps forward. Some players will be returning, which will increase the competition even more and that’s good for the team."

Tapsoba not involved – Trio ready

Some of the squad about to return include players involved with the AFCON tournament. While Ibrahim Maza, Christian Kofane and Eliesse Ben Seghir are involved in the quarter-finals, Edmond Tapsoba was knocked out in the Round of 16 and he is set to return to the Werkself soon. However, he will not be involved in the Stuttgart game. "It's a difficult issue. The players have not had any rest, which is also mentally exhausting. It's important to pay attention to how they feel physically and mentally after the tournament. Eddy will now have a bit of a break and time to be with his family. He'll be back next week."

Exequiel Palacios is also unavailable. However, Loïc Badé, Ernest Poku and Alejandro Grimaldo are ready for action.

Tickets available

A few tickets for the match are still available from returns on the Bayer 04 ticket exchange. Last-minute bookings can be made HERE to secure them. Werkself Radio and the live text update service on bayer04.de and the Bayer04 app are also available in 2026.