Hoeness: ''We're going to be brave''

Sebastian Hoeness on…

…Bayer 04 Leverkusen: ''They are the team of the hour at the moment. Leverkusen are in fantastic form and are yet to lose a league game this season. They are very strong in defence. It's going to be a massive challenge.'' 

…the personnel situation: ''We didn't pick up any injuries in the game against Gent, which is great news. Florian Grillitsch, Sebastian Rudy and Ihlas Bebou are all ready to play, they were rested in the Europa League.''

…the match against Leverkusen: ''We want to be brave on Saturday. We have the requisite respect for a strong opponent, but we also want to bring our own strengths to the table. Leverkusen are the favourites, but we're travelling there full of ambition and determined to extend our run of six matches unbeaten.''

…the lessons from the Gent match: ''The win has given us a good feeling. I was very pleased with the way we performed. We were very creative with the ball and were able to find good solutions. I'd be delighted to see us continue in this vein on Sunday. We need to have the right mix of intensity and creativity.'' 

The opposition's form:

Leverkusen are yet to lose in the Bundesliga and find themselves in second place after ten matchdays - just one point behind leaders Bayern Munich. After kicking off the season with three draws, the side coached by Peter Bosz have picked up six wins from their last seven league matches. 

Head-to-head record:

TSG Hoffenheim have not lost any of their last four matches against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. TSG have won three and drawn one of the four meetings between the two sides since the start of the 2018/19 season. Bayer coach Peter Bosz has yet to lead his side to a win over Hoffenheim (one draw and two defeats). However, Leverkusen still maintain the advantage in the overall head-to-head match up: they've won 14, drawn four and lost six of their past encounters with TSG. 

Match facts and statistics »