“The lads will have to suffer a lot” | OneFootball

Ahead of the clash with leaders Bayern Munich, Dino Toppmöller shares his thoughts on the Eagles’ “biggest challenge”, talks up his team’s chances and issues updates on Trapp, Götze and Tuta.

Head coach Dino Toppmöller on …

…Eintracht’s approach: “We head into the game with humility and know the incredible quality we’re up against. It’s the biggest challenge we can face at the moment, in my opinion, but we feel capable of hurting this exceptionally powerful opponent. We’re aware – as are Bayern – that it hasn’t always been easy for them at this stadium. We can expect a very tough battle in which we’ll need to show great resilience.”

…Bayern Munich: “A key factor is the sharpness in their pressing and counter-pressing game. Their hunger is remarkable but, as we saw on Wednesday [in their 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa], you don’t always have to have a lot of the ball. It’ll certainly be very tough – the lads will have to suffer a lot.”

…personnel: “The status quo is good. Everything feels better after the win we had [on Thursday against Besiktas]. Little aches and pains heal more quickly. Mario Götze has a cut on his head but that shouldn’t stop him from playing. Hugo Ekitiké was brought on and came through the game unscathed. He’s back in contention for a place in the starting XI.”

… Kevin Trapp: “Kevin will have one more training session with Jan Zimmermann and the other goalkeepers, then we’ll have to see whether he gives the green light or not. If he’s fully fit and we’re feeling confident, Trappo will play.”

…Tuta [and the birth of his child]: “Tuta is a firm part of our plans and we hope there are no more false alarms. Mo Dahoud is very composed on the ball and can control the game from deep in the number six position. He’s on a very good path.”.”

…managing the workload after back-to-back away games: “We’re in good shape physically and head into the game with a great sense of euphoria. Our fans will certainly offer us great support too – we’ll get a second wind from the stands.”