Kevin Volland: “I relish games like the one in Augsburg”

Hello Kevin. The home game against Augsburg was a difficult one. Boris Vukcevic had his car accident only days before. What do you remember of that day?

Before the game we were in the hotel when we found out about the accident. It's a painful memory. It hit us really hard and we were dejected. Every member of the team was deep in thought and we all met in a church to pray for Boris. After a long discussion, we decided to play the game, mostly because Boris' parents wanted us to. That was the deciding factor for the decision really. Football was a side issue on that day.

Will those memories play a role on the pitch come Saturday?

The situation is different to what it was then. This game is massive for both teams. We must win the game and be ready to fight for the three points.

Can you say that the game against Augsburg will be the biggest of the season so far?

If we are honest, then it's clear that we have had very few important games this season. This is a key match about character and a win would give us a four point lead on Augsburg. That is hugely important.

What kind of game are you expecting and what must you do to win?

Augsburg will be extremely aggressive on Saturday and will look to hurt us. They are in good form having picked up points recently. I relish games like the one in Augsburg because you can really battle for the result and get the best out of yourself. The whole stadium will be against us and in situations like that, you can really show how good you are. You can show that you are the better team. We've got to work together and work harder than our opponents, run more and keep our calm in the defining moments, whether they are in front of goal or picking the right pass at the right moment.

You've already scored three times since the start of the second half of the season but you don't seem happy…

I would much prefer to win the games than score. If we can win the game and I score twice, like the Freiburg game, then that's perfect. Then the goals are more important because they are helping the team. It doesn't matter who scores against Augsburg. The most important thing is that we win the game.

Match facts and statistics »