FIRST TEAM
03/06/2014

Markus Gisdol: “We all define ourselves through our own performances”

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim play Schalke in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, March 8th at 15:30 CET on matchday 24 in the Bundesliga. It will be the third time this season that TSG have taken on Schalke and they are yet to lose to the Royal Blues – let's hope it stays that way. In the meeting earlier this season, Beck, Salihovic & Co. managed to secure a 3-3 draw despite being 3-1 down at one stage in the match. The German Cup third round encounter ended in a 3-1 away victory for Gisdol's men – one of the real highlights for TSG this year.

They now return to the Veltins-Arena and Markus Gisdol and his team are looking forward to the challenge. “Schalke's home games always have a special atmosphere and it's a game you look forward to,” said the Hoffenheim manager during Thursday's pre-match press conference.

Schalke are still “one of the top teams in the Bundesliga” for Gisdol despite their recent heavy defeats against Real Madrid and FC Bayern. Their start in 2014 was indeed quite impressive, winning 13 points from the opening five games. “Schalke lost against probably the two best teams in the world right now. A lot of other Bundesliga teams would have conceded five, six or even seven goals in those two games.”

Own performance is the priority

Gisdol does not expect Schalke to display an act of defiance following the two defeats, because “Schalke know how to interpret these results”. He is not able to judge how much pressure there is within the club but he feels that it's a “dangerous” scenario for his team playing in Schalke now. However, TSG are not going to be “lambs to the slaughter” in Gelsenkirchen. Taking confidence from the first two encounters with Schalke this season, Gisdol said: “We can get a result there with the right preparation.”

The Hoffenheim manager is not worried that his team could become complacent after a run of five consecutive games without suffering a defeat. “We don't look at the standings all the time, rather we try to think week by week. All of the players are giving their all in the training sessions and want to be in the starting line-up on the weekend. They are all defining themselves through their own performances and through nothing else,” Gisdol explained.

David Abraham, who scored an impressive free kick to give Hoffenheim a 3-3 draw in the fixture earlier this season, will likely be unavailable on Saturday. The centre back is struggling with a groin injury. Apart from that, Gisdol has everyone on board. The players that were on international duty have all returned without injuries – a good premise for another coup against Schalke.

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