Nagelsmann: "We want to put a new run together"

Julian Nagelsmann on...

...the opponents:

A lot of people this week have said to me that we’ll beat Ingolstadt comfortably, and I’ve dismissed it every time. They’re a very good side that shouldn’t be underestimated. They defend very well high up the pitch and play a pressing style that a lot of teams could learn something from. You can barely allow yourself a mistake in possession against them. Ralph Hasenhüttl confirming his departure won’t change anything. They are an ambitious team that always go full throttle. They’ll put their foot down right the way though.

...personnel:

Jin-Su Kim will miss out again with muscle problems. Otherwise, everyone is on board.

...the current situation:

We want to put a new run together. We want and need to pick up points. The fact that we could end up having the best second half of a season in the club’s history is nice, but it’s not the main goal. If we stay up, we’ll probably set the record though. I hope that we can confirm our top-flight status before the final day. We can take a big step towards doing that on Saturday.

I don’t think that nerves play a big part with my players. We’ve had pressure going into every game during my tenure. We will be able to produce a solid display on Saturday.

Previous meetings:

There’s not much to go off in terms of a past record. The two sides have faced each other only four times before. The 1-1 draw in the first half of the season, a 1-0 DFB Cup second-round win for TSG in 2010/11 and a goalless draw and another 1-0 victory in the 2006/07 Regionalliga Süd campaign. So Hoffenheim are unbeaten against Ingolstadt, but there’s little you can take from such a small test sample. What matters is what happens on the pitch on Saturday.

The opponents' form:

Average. FCI have recorded two wins, two draws and two losses from their last six games. But there is still a party atmosphere in Ingolstadt with a place in next season’s Bundesliga already confirmed. They could still even reach Europe, but it remains to be seen whether FCI really have that in their sights. In any case, Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side will be relaxed in Kraichgau. The pressure is off and they will enjoy themselves.

Key battles:

TSG will have to find the right solution in the final third. Only Bayern and Dortmund have defended better than FCI this season, with the Bavarians letting in just 35 goals. Julian Nagelsmann’s boys will also have to deal with the long ball well. Ingolstadt have practically turned the hoof into an art form. 23.1% off their passes have been long balls, with only Darmstadt relying on them more heavily.

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