FIRST TEAM
02/17/2021

Hoeness: "We won't underestimate Molde"

Reaching the last 16 will be TSG Hoffenheim's clear goal when they take on Molde FK in their UEFA Europa League Round of 32 tie. At the press conference prior to the first leg (Thursday at 21:00 CET), head coach Sebastian Hoeness spoke about personnel, the opposition and potentially being the favourites.

Sebastian Hoeness on…

…the personnel situation: "Unfortunately, Håvard Nordtveit and Andrej Kramarić will not be at our disposal. Ishak Belfodil and Robert Skov will not make the trip either. Then there are the long-term injury absentees you know about who are working their way back to fitness."

…Molde FK: "We've watched Molde's friendlies and their last matches from last year. They came in second place last season and show a lot of ingenuity on the ball. They tend to sit deep when they don't have possession. Molde are a good opponent."

…TSG possibly being favourites: "It's the knockout stages. We have ambitions to get through to the next round. But we will not underestimate the opposition. Molde have shown in the group stages that they have a strong team."

…the conditions in Villarreal: "We're playing here on natural turf rather than the artificial pitch in Molde. That's more familiar to us. We'll see whether that's an advantage."

…the game in Dortmund: "We can take something from the game. It was a good game by us. However, the result was missing. We produced a good performance both on and off the ball. We now want to be even more effective in front of the opposition goal. Then the result will follow on Thursday."

The opposition's form:

The Norwegian league has been on hiatus since November. Coach Erling Moe's charges finished last season in second place. The next campaign does not begin until April. That means that the clash with TSG Hoffenheim will be the first time Molde have been in competitive action since Europa League Matchday 6 on 10 December.

Head-to-head record:

This will be the first time the two teams have gone head to head competitively. Molde have already faced German opposition, however: they have played against VfB Stuttgart four times, with each team claiming two victories.

 

Don't want to miss any of the action on TSG.TV in future? No problem: Subscribe to the official TSG YouTube channel in just a few clicks. Take a look. Keep up to date. Have fun.

Match facts and statistics »

Download Now!
Print Page to top