Tarik Elyounoussi: “The tempo is a lot higher”

Hello Tarik, you've been in Hoffenheim since the beginning of July. How have you settled in?

Tarik Elyounoussi: Very well. The team and the coaching staff are great. I've been well accommodated and feel settled. I moved into my new flat at the end of last week and left the hotel. That was important for me. I feel more at home day by day. My German is getting better every day as well, especially in terms of understanding other people. In a few months I want to be able to make the switch from speaking English to speaking German.

There doesn't seem to be any misunderstanding between yourself, Kevin Volland, Roberto Firmino and Anthony Modeste on the pitch.

Elyounoussi: They're some great lads and good footballers too. We understand one another on the pitch. It helps that the manager gives us a clear plan along the way. Putting that into action is up to us though, so it also helps to be surrounded by players that have a lot of quality and can execute things well. It's a lot of fun to play with these guys.

You don't seem to be having trouble switching from the Norwegian league to the Bundesliga. There are some differences though, right?

Elyounoussi: Of course. The differences are quite big actually. The Bundesliga is a lot stronger and the tempo is a lot higher. Everything surrounding it is bigger and better as well; the stadiums, the attendances and the media presence. But I've gathered my fair share of experience with the Norway national team and from my time in the Netherlands. I can call on that here.

TSG's next opponents are VfB Stuttgart. A friend of yours plays there – Mohammed Abdellaoue.

Elyounoussi: We're sure to be on the phone to each other before the game. We talk quite regularly. I rang him before I made the move to Hoffenheim too. He told me a lot of good things about the Bundesliga and said that Hoffenheim play good, quick, attacking football, which suits me well.

Stuttgart had a change of manager at the start of the week. Will that have an influence on the match?

Elyounoussi: It will certainly change Stuttgart's preparations but not ours. We hadn't yet spoken about our opponents when the news came out. The important thing is that we concentrate on our game and our plan. What has happened to our opponents is not important for us. We're hopeful or taking three points away from the game. That will put a smile on my face when I meet up with Mo in the international break.