“We want to get to Europe”

Head coach Dino Toppmöller calls on his players to give everything for the club, sets out what’s required at this crunch stage of the season and gives a personnel update.

… the match against Augsburg: “It’s going to be a special game, not just because of the situation in the table. At this stage of the season it’s about winning matches. We have a huge chance to put some distance back between ourselves and a team who we’ve allowed to get near us. It’s not about playing pretty on Friday but, to put it bluntly, about scoring one more goal than the opposition. We have to give our all to do that. Everyone attacking together, everyone defending the goal together – everyone together. It’s about points and showing that we want it more than the opposition.”

… personnel: “Junior Dina Ebimbe will return after his suspension. Mario Götze and Ellyes Skhiri have declared themselves fit - both are options for the starting XI. Jean-Matteo Bahoya, on the other hand, isn't available for tomorrow.”

… the approach: “On Friday it’s less about substance and tactical things. It’s about emotionality, passion and intensity – we have to bring that onto the pitch. We want to be clear and definite from the start. These basics are the foundation and the key to playing winning football. To get into a certain flow, you first need good aggression and energy.”

… the aim of qualifying for European competition: “We all want to get to Europe together. We’re doing everything to achieve that and we have to put our egos even further to the back. We all have to give everything for the club and for success. I also said that to the team when we went over to our fans after the match against Stuttgart. When I see that support, it’s unbelievable. For that alone it’s worth it, for that alone we have to run ourselves into the ground in every match. We want to give something back to the fans.”