Schreuder: "We're well prepared for Freiburg"
Alfred Schreuder on…
…the clash with Freiburg: "There are no small games in the Bundesliga. Freiburg are a very good team. We're well prepared for them. It'll be an intense match, I'm sure. I want to win every game, whether it's a derby or not."
…the international break: "A lot of our players were away. That's obviously a shame on the one hand, because we couldn't train so well; on the other hand, though, they come back from their national teams with a good feeling. The fact our lads are involved shows the high regard in which they are held."
…the personnel situation: "Ishak Belfodil is looking better with each passing week. I have no concerns about him. Benjamin Hübner is fully fit again and has completed every session. Dennis Geiger is set to train with us today too. I'm assuming he's okay to play. As for Diadie Samassékou, it's frustrating that he's out of action."
…the start to the season: "You always have to try to see the bigger picture. Everyone said we had a difficult start. And that was the case. But we must always focus on ourselves. The team is taking big step towards ultimately being successful. We put in our best performance against Frankfurt, but didn't get any points."
…Christian Streich: "He's currently the longest-serving coach of any Bundesliga club. I love his way of seeing football. I have a great deal of respect for his work. He shows great passion on the pitch and he's a role model for many coaches in the Bundesliga."
The social media fan question of the week:
If you could go out for a meal with any of your fellow coaches, which one would it be?
"If I were to say Christian Streich at this point, it'd probably be too simple. I've already eaten with Julian Nagelsmann and Peter Bosz. Away from the Bundesliga, I'd like to have dinner with the national team coach, Joachim Löw."
Head-to-head record:
The two clubs have previously faced off in the Bundesliga 18 times. TSG have the marginally better head-to-head record, with five wins, nine draws and four defeats. Hoffenheim have only lost one of the last 11 meetings.
The opposition's form:
Freiburg started the Bundesliga season in fine fettle with two wins from two games, but Christian Streich's charges lost their third match before the international break, conceding a last-minute goal to lose 2-1 to 1. FC Cologne.