“Desperate for a first home win!”
Hertha have drawn each of their last three home games and have come close to winning each of them. The next chance for a first victory in Berlin this season comes on Sunday (23/10, 17:30 CEST) against FC Schalke 04. “We’re desperate for that first home win. We know we’ve come close on several occasions. Those games are in the past now – our aim is to get the three points on Sunday in front of our fans,” stressed Sandro Schwarz. The basis for a victory will, like always, be a good defensive performance. Fredi Bobic praised the defensive unit at Friday’s press conference. “Agu is a model professional and is well liked by the rest of the team. We’ve not yet seen the best of him either,” said our board member for sport and communication. “Our faith in Olli has paid off too. He’s always on his toes and doesn’t let himself get affected by any mistakes. They actually drive him on to do better and that’s really important. It’s great to see.” Schwarz and Bobic talked about…
…the approach for the game:
Sandro Schwarz: We’re not talking about which side will be favourites or underdogs. We’re simply preparing normally for the game and our opponents. We have high expectations of ourselves. The lads are fully focused and are enjoying their work. We’re desperate for a first home win! We know we’ve come close on several occasions. Those games are in the past now – our aim is to get the three points on Sunday in front of our fans.
…the prospect of a big crowd:
Sandro Schwarz: The connection between the fans and the team is really special. An attendance of between 55,000 and 60,000 will be fantastic and we want to pay back this support with a good performance and the three points.
…the development of Oliver Christensen and Agustín Rogel:
Fredi Bobic: Agu took a bit of time to settle in, but that’s totally normal. He’s a model professional and is well liked by the rest of the team. We’ve not yet seen the best of him either. Our faith in Olli has paid off too. He’s always on his toes and doesn’t let himself get affected by any mistakes. They actually drive him on to do better and that’s really important. It’s great to see.
...Schalke changing their coach:
Sandro Schwarz: We obviously don’t know how they will set up after their change of coach. The important thing is that we stay true to ourselves. Nevertheless, we have still thoroughly analysed Schalke and know how they played when this coaching setup was in charge last season. We’ve watched one or two of those games, but we have to remember that this is a different team. We will focus on ourselves primarily.