Hoeness: ''We're fired up for the competition''

Sebastian Hoeness on…

…the personnel situation: ''We have a few headaches regarding personnel. Håvard Nordtveit was able to undergo a full team training session for the first time today. Benjamin Hübner is making improvements, but unfortunately not as quickly as we had hoped. He still isn't able to join the rest of the squad in training. We have to take care to manage the team's load. That's our responsibility as the coaching staff.'' 

…Red Star Belgrade: ''We've analysed the opposition through video footage. Belgrade are a strong team. They have a proud history and have bounced between the Champions League and the Europa League in the past few years. It's not going to be an easy task. They have a solid squad with plenty of experience in European competition. We have to be prepared for that. But we also want to play to our strengths and show that we can make our mark in this group.''

…the excitement of the UEFA Europa League: ''It's a real butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. It's a special experience - for me, the team and the club as a whole. Red Star Belgrade are a good first opponent. We're fired up for the competition. A win tomorrow would be so important for our big goal of reaching the knock-out stage.''

…the lack of spectators: ''Not having our fans there will have a big impact on us. The game against Bayern Munich made it clear how much difference even a small number of fans can make. But we just have to accept it and do the best we can in spite of it.'' 

Oliver Baumann on…

…European competition: ''Playing in Europe is one of the best things you can do as a footballer. Now, after a year's absence, we're looking forward to competing again and we want to give a better account of ourselves than in previous seasons. We can't wait for tomorrow and we're determined to make it past the group stage for the first time in club history.''

…the increase in Coronavirus cases: ''We all have to watch out. The numbers are going up again. We all have to adjust to the changes and then concentrate fully on football once the game begins. Obviously it's not great that no fans are allowed to watch the game live in the stadium. But we should nonetheless be happy that we're able to continue playing.''

Head-to-head record:

This will be the first time that TSG and Red Star have faced one another in a competitive match. In fact, this will be TSG's first ever encounter with a Serbian team. Red Star, on the other hand, are going into their 33rd match-up with a German team in European competition. The Belgrade-based club were defeated twice by Bayern Munich (3-0 away and 6-0 at home) in the group stage of last season's Champions League. 

The opposition's form:

Red Star Belgrade have won three consecutive Serbian league titles and currently sit atop the table after 11 matchdays. After picking up ten wins in their first ten matches, the reigning champions dropped points for the first time on Sunday: the ''Eternal Derby'' with arch-rivals Partizan Belgrade ended in a 1-1 draw. 

Match facts and statistics »