Hoeness: "Union play with great discipline"

Sebastian Hoeness on…

…the personnel situation: „Ermin Bičakčić, Robert Skov, Diadie Samassékou, Pavel Kadeřábek, Florian Grillitsch and Marco John are unavailable. There are question marks over Mijat Gaćinović, who is suffering from muscular problems."

…the opposition: "Union Berlin have suffered only one defeat in their last 25 home games. They are in very good form at home, play with great discipline and concede few goals. Urs Fischer has his team playing in a very compact manner off the ball and they then switch the play at speed. We produced a very good away performance last year, even though it ended 1-1. We want to play very fast in the lines in front of the defence."

…the table situation: "We now have the games coming up that we're really up for. We have worked hard for this and are enjoying it too. They will be really tough games that will demand everything from us. We are in the middle of the season and we know we have to continue to perform like this if we want to come away with something tangible."

…Kevin Vogt's contract extension: ""I am very happy. It happened pretty quickly. Kevin is a very important figure for us. He possesses both an attacking quality but also a defensive reliability. He is an intelligent and funny guy who has already gained a lot of experience. Kevin shall be a key player for us going forward."

…personnel choices in attacking positions: "In a positive sense, we're spoilt for choice in attacking positions. The boys are doing really well. There is no guarantee of a regular place; it comes down to performances. Munas Dabbur is currently getting a lot of playing time because he is playing well and is extremely hard-working. But I could name many of the lads. We decide what type of players we need based on the opponent.

Kevin Vogt on…

…his contract extension: "I am very happy about it. I feel very comfortable here. Our sporting development is a path that I can completely identify with. It's enormous fun with the squad and the coaching team. We have rediscovered our DNA in the past few weeks. That's also underlined by the results."

…his objectives with TSG: "I am still as ambitious as can be. We want to get the best-possible result. At the moment, things are looking very good in the table, but that is only as it stands. After 18 matches, it is the performances that are much more important. And there is a strong upward trend in that respect. We want to keep our foot on the gas and achieve something good come the end. I have extended my contract until 2025. Alexander Rosen wanted me to extend until I score my first goal, but I couldn't go on that long." (laughs)

The opposition's form:

Coach Urs Fischer's team is once again in the top half of the table this season. After 18 games, Union sit in seventh place with 28 points, three points behind TSG. In their opening game of the second half-season, the capital club drew 2-2 at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Head-to-head record:

TSG have the marginally better record after five meetings between the two teams. Hoffenheim have two victories to their name, while Union Berlin have one (plus two draws). However, TSG are without a win against Union since June 2020.

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