Matarazzo: "We know what's at stake"

The last away game of the season is upon us: TSG Hoffenheim host SV Darmstadt 98 on Sunday (15:30 CET/liveticker on tsg-hoffenheim.de). Ahead of the clash with the Hessians, head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo spoke about the opposition, the season run-in and the lessons learnt from previous away games.

Pellegrino Matarazzo on…

…the remaining two games: "We have called for the final sprint. The team seems focused, they are playing tidy football and have a good balance of toughness and quality. We know what's at stake. We can make up some ground against Darmstadt. Our aim is to have a successful away game. We want to go full throttle."

…the opposition: "It's Darmstadt's last home game in the Bundesliga for the time being. We don't know what face they'll put on, but that's not important for us. We'll focus on ourselves and then we'll have everything in our own hands."

…the lessons from recent away defeats: "Darmstadt are not a typical relegation team. They look to play their way out of trouble, even if they play long balls from time to time. We'll have to look out for their counter-pressing and try to win second balls. We want to force the game into their half, and we have what it takes to do that."

…the success of German clubs in Europe: "We witnessed some very exciting matches for the German teams during the week. It's a sign of the strength of the league that the teams are performing so well. I'm happy for the Bundesliga. We're doing everything we can to secure the extra European spot. A win on Sunday is a must if we want to do that."

…the success of the TSG academy: "It's extraordinary what the teams are achieving. There are three players who have all made their debuts for the first team. In addition, many youth players have developed into regulars with us. That speaks for the good work in the academy. That can't be taken for granted."

The personnel situation:

Mergim Berisha participated in individual training on the pitch for the first time this week and will train with the team again in the course of preparations for next season. Marco John could be back in full training next week. Dennis Geiger and Stanley Nsoki are still out. Wout Weghorst was carrying an injury, but he has returned to team training and is an option for the squad. The same goes for the injured Anton Stach and Umut Tohumcu, who is returning from his yellow-card suspension.

The opposition's form:

SV Darmstadt 98 have already been relegated from the Bundesliga. The Lilies, who have 17 points to their name, will play their last home game in Germany's top flight for the time being.

Head-to-head record:

This is the sixth time the two clubs have met in the Bundesliga. Both clubs have won one game apiece, while three matches have ended in draws.