Breitenreiter: "We can make things difficult for any team"

André Breitenreiter on…

…the match on Saturday: "We want to build on our last few games, and even though our opponents at the weekend will possess a completely different quality on the pitch compared to Schalke, we want to move the process forward and perform courageously. The match will show how far along we are. The opponent will certainly draw our attention to things we still need to work on. We want to play inspiring football and be successful in front of a sold-out stadium."

…Bayern this season so far: "Bayern had a spell this season in which the results were not right. But they're the team with the most possession and the highest proportion of challenges won. They're an absolutely top team; we all know about their individual quality. We're prepared for the opponent, but we also want to focus on ourselves. We can make things very difficult for any team, so we'll play with self-confidence. We don't want to play into Bayern's hands."

…Munas Dabbur's performances in recent games: "Munas is an outstanding striker with great qualities. He's a very strong finisher, he's high on confidence thanks to his goals. Munas has worked for that himself; he is responsible for his good run. He's very hard-working in every training session and has stayed positive even in games which he has started on the bench. He's in a very good condition; he shows that every day. I'm delighted for him, because he's also very important to the team as a person."

…the sold-out stadium: "The trend in terms of spectators has been positive the whole season; there is a constant increase. The fans see that we have a team that plays good football and always gives everything. The stadium is of course in part sold out at the weekend because Bayern are coming, but my team have also made their contribution to the many spectators."

…his ex-players at Bayern: "In Leroy Sané's case, it quickly became clear he could go all the way to the top. Leon Goretzka was also a top professional for me in my time at Schalke, one whom I saw as a future captain of the national team. I said at the time that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was in fact a world-class striker and he has now played for some of the biggest clubs in the world. I'm delighted for him, because he's also a great guy on a personal level too."

…possible weaknesses in Bayern's ranks: "We're trying to work that out. There are of course solutions for every opponent, but they are limited in number against one of the world's three best teams. I also think you have to be brave against Bayern. We want to take the initiative ourselves."

…his initial conclusion after 10 games: "If we look at the bare figures, we're in fourth place and through to the last 16 in the DFB-Pokal. Naturally, we can be satisfied with that. But I don't attach too much importance to the standings because it's very tight. I feel very positive about the team's development. If we continue like this, we will get good results and establish ourselves towards the top. We're pursuing our path, so I'm already looking forward to facing such a top opponent on Saturday."

…Union Berlin being league leaders: "I have talked with several people about Union Berlin in recent days. I see many parallels with the FC Zürich side I was in charge of last season. It's no coincidence that they're up at the top, they're as strong as it gets. You should not wait for them to fold; instead, you should have them on your radar in the race for the German title."

The personnel situation:

Ermin Bičakčić, Benjamin Hübner (both fitness training) and Ihlas Bebou (knee problems) will be joined on the sidelines by defender Kevin Vogt, who received his fifth booking of the season against Schalke 04. Luca Philipp will be out with a finger injury, as will Fisnik Asllani, who sustained an injury during the week. Andrej Kramarić (irritation of ankle injury) and Pavel Kadeřábek (calf problems) remain doubtful.

The opposition's form:

Bayern have been in a goalscoring mood in recent days: they first claimed a 5-0 victory over SC Freiburg on Sunday and then followed that up with a 5-2 DFB-Pokal win against Augsburg on Wednesday. The record champions are currently in second spot, two points and two places ahead of TSG.

Head-to-head record:

The overall record is clearly in FC Bayern Munich's favour. The men from Munich have won 18 of the 28 Bundesliga meetings, while TSG have four victories. But TSG's record in home games is slightly better, with Bayern coming out on top in only half the matches, while Hoffenheim have run out as winners on three occasions in their last six meetings at the PreZero Arena.

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