"[Leipzig are] A team that are really in the flow, that have a clear plan—both with the ball, and without the ball—but who are also very, very dangerous in transition phases, with a lot of pace and a lot of determination. Their attacking quality is nothing new—but we’ve also spent a lot of time discussing in recent days how we can create opportunities for ourselves, and I’m firmly convinced that we can put that into practice on Friday. We’ll naturally want to capitalize on the chances we create to come away with something."

"First of all, there was certainly some disappointment after the Wolfsburg game because the guys realised that it was a good game, that we were very close, that we created a lot of scoring chances, but they were also frustrated about the goals we conceded that were too easy. That’s why I noticed they were really processing it. We worked through it well, but then quickly shifted our focus forward again, and there was good energy in training. Everyone naturally wanted to show what they could do again, wanted to prove themselves, and that’s why they’ve made it tough for us on the coaching staff again, especially when it comes to the lineup."

"No final decisions have been made yet. But Tom—as I said before the Wolfsburg game, or right after it—had a good week of training and a lot of energy. He also had a solid game against Wolfsburg. He was able to bring exactly what we’d hoped for from him into the game. And Derrick is also close. You could see when he was on the pich what he brings and what he can give us. And we’ll probably need both of them again, and we’ll see who starts on Friday"

"Rani is an incredibly important player here for us, for the club, and he’s proven that time and again over the past few years. I’m in constant communication with him, but of course also with Trimmi. They’re two extremely important leaders. We’ve also had discussions with the Mannschaftsrat to make sure everyone is on board. And Rani is an absolute pro; he’s always shown that. He’s a Unioner through and through, and always leaves his heart on the field. He showed that again this weekend. And that’s what matters in the end—what matters to me as a coach—that he delivers and that, as vice-captain, he takes on responsibility."

"He gives the team stability, keeps us active up front in the build-up, and ensures a high work rate... But of course a striker wants to score goals—that’s logical. And sure, with every missed chance, it might not always be easy to deal with that. But even now in training, I’ve seen him again over the past few days—how much he’s giving for that, how hard he’s working, and how he’s always there in the box. And I’m convinced that if he keeps at it, the goals will come automatically. But he’s not just - at least for me - measured by whether he scores goals right now; for me, the other tasks are just as important."

"Yeah, I think there have been tougher situations, but we also know that it’s important right now, and we absolutely want to pick up points... Still, there are seven teams even further behind us. Dwelling on the standings doesn’t do any good now though, even though we all know and are aware of the situation, instead, we just want to focus on delivering our best performance and improving."