Ilzer: "The game is a big chance"

Christian Ilzer on...

... the match on Thursday: "The anticipation is huge. As a club, you work for a whole season to be represented in Europe. Half of the games in the Europa League are over, so it's slowly getting into crunch time. We've come to Portugal with the clear objective of winning something. We know that we're up against a team with great quality. They had a big shake-up in the summer, but are getting better and better. Braga are a good opponent, but we have the clear objective of picking up points. This game is a great opportunity."

... the significance of the game: "It won't be decisive, but it will be very important. We're slowly approaching the end of the league phase. We want to improve our position, that's the aim of both teams. We want to put in a good performance and not let Braga get into their game. They are very strong and a tough side to go up against. It's a difficult task, but we want to face up to it."

... the situation in the table: "This league mode is like a huge pool. We want to develop into a shark in this pool by picking up points. To do that, we also need points in Braga. Our goal for tomorrow has been formulated accordingly."

... the new-coach effect: "When there's a change of coach, there's a new approach. Players who haven't played much before see an opportunity again. That brings a certain dynamic. We said that we would change something, but a lot of things were already there. We want to make a difference with our input and the resources we have. It's a team with a very strong character. The victory has encouraged us, and now we have the next difficult game ahead of us. We want to put the things we've worked on into practice on the pitch."

... the personnel: "Marius Bülter and Florian Grillitsch are confirmed as unavailable. Max Moerstedt is fit again and has completed training sessions with the team. Apart from that, nothing has changed relative to the Leipzig game. We're trying to find ourselves more and more in our identity, which we saw in the Leipzig game."

... a possible rotation: "I competed on the European stage with Sturm Graz three years in a row. That's why I've always had the topic of load management in my head. But I've only known the team for ten days. Every coach has a different structure. We have to act in a well-coordinated way. The next game is always the most important. We're focussing on Braga and not yet paying attention to Mainz on Sunday."

The opposition's form:

Braga are fifth in the Portuguese league after 11 matchdays and are 13 points behind first place. Sporting reached the next round of the cup at the weekend. In the Europa League, coach Carlos Carvalhal's team have collected four points from four games so far.

Head-to-head record:

The two clubs have already met twice in a competitive match. Sporting Braga won 3-1 and 2-1 in the 2017/18 Europa League season.

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