Klaassen: "TSG can play at a high tempo"

Davy, you suffered a 3-1 opening-day defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf. What's your assessment of the match?

"We're obviously disappointed and it certainly wasn't the start we'd envisaged. But we can't allow our heads to drop now. The performance itself was not too bad. We created a lot of chances but unfortunately couldn't convert them. Meanwhile, we conceded goals slightly too easily. We want to stop such mistakes. Despite the defeat, we still have a good feeling from pre-season and we want to take that with us into our upcoming games."

TSG lost their opening match of the season too. How important is it for both teams to win on Saturday?

"We always play to win. Perhaps that's even more the case now given that we lost our opening match. But Hoffenheim will probably be thinking along the same lines."

Werder Bremen and TSG finished last season in eighth and ninth place respectively. Are you expecting an even encounter and where do you see Hoffenheim's strengths?

"That's difficult to say. With only one matchday gone, you can't precisely assess where the teams are at. For the same reason, you also cannot predict who the favourites are going into this game. Hoffenheim have a good team. There's a lot of quality in the squad and they can play at a high tempo."

You've been in the Bundesliga for a year and you're now the vice-captain at Werder Bremen. Do you feel happy?

"Yes, absolutely. I absolutely love playing at Werder and in the Bundesliga. Although I've been a captain in the past, the fact that I've been named the Werder vice-captain after only one year is obviously a huge honour for me and also reflects the trust the club have placed in me."

Your countryman Alfred Schreuder took over the reins at TSG this summer. Do you know each other personally?

"No, not personally. But we've often crossed paths before. He used to be at Ajax, whereas I've tended to play against the clubs where he's been on the coaching staff. I'm sure we'll exchange a few words after the match on Saturday."