Volland: "I had a super time at TSG"

Kevin, how much of a special occasion will it be for you to face TSG?

"Especially in the first year, the games against your former club are still a special occasion. You look forward to seeing your ex-team-mates again. However, things change at clubs as time passes. I still know a few players and staff members, and I'm looking forward to chatting with them after the match."

Have you been in contact with your former team-mates?

"Now and again I'm in touch with a few of my ex-team-mates. I still have a very good relationship with the physiotherapy team in particular. Peter Geigle and I write very often and we've been in contact before the game."

"I'm very thankful to the club"

What did you take from your time in Hoffenheim?

"I had a super time at TSG, I took a lot from my time in Hoffenheim and I'm very thankful to the club. It's a real family club and I felt very comfortable there."

How important have the two clear-cut victories over Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach been for you recently?

"The two victories have been extremely important for us. We went through a difficult spell before that. It was partly psychological. The self-belief and that little bit of luck were missing before those wins. We showed against Bremen that we can play football, and we reaffirmed that against Gladbach. But it's not as if we can just score five or six goals like that."

"Those are the beautiful games as a footballer"

What will it come down to on Saturday?

"We're playing at home, we want to take the game to the opposition and get the win. Hoffenheim have a great deal of quality. If we as a team defend and switch the play as well as we have in the previous two matches, then we have a good chance of winning. But we'll need to be fully alert. Both teams want to play football. Those are the beautiful games as a footballer."

What are TSG's strengths, in your eyes?

"Hoffenheim move the ball about well and can counter well. They have a good plan. Julian Nagelsmann always sets the team up well. There's a great deal of versatility on the pitch. They put in a lot of crosses and are very dangerous down the flanks. It's not easy to defend against TSG."

Both teams are playing a lot of matches at the moment. How have the 'English weeks' affected your preparations for the game?

"You don't have the same options you do in a full week. You begin by recovering on the day after a match. It's of vital importance to get your body back in optimal condition as quickly as possible. Equally, there's less time to prepare for the next opponent. But once the game is under way, that barely plays a role any more. By that stage, it's all about getting the three points."

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