FC St. Pauli

Fabian Hürzeler on…

...the personnel situation: "Betim Fazliji pulled out of the match replication session due to a muscle problem and underwent an examination, but nothing was found. We'll have to wait and see if he's fit to play. Luca Zander is doing running work and I think he'll be able to train with the rest of the team in part next week. David Nemeth is making progress in rehab and is back on the training ground. We're easing him back in. I had osteitis pubis once myself. It can be very wearing mentally because the recovery process is very up and down. Etienne Amenyido is making progress and working on the treadmill with 50% body load. We're building him up slowly but we're positive. With Christopher Avevor we'll have to wait and see. He keeps experiencing minor problems and is currently in rehab."

...the confidence from two wins and FCK's impressive form: "Win or lose, I always go into the next game with optimism. I'm convinced in my team, I know what they're capable of. I try to infuse them with this strength and confidence as well. No matter who we're playing, we always focus on ourselves. We go into games like these with optimism but always with the necessary respect for our opponents, of course. We have to have that, but we also know what we're capable of. We know we can beat Kaiserslautern, but this will require a team effort and every individual will have to go to the limit and beyond. Games like these are not simply about playing football, you have to win the tackles and stay solid, too. It's a very big ask for us."

...opponents Kaiserslautern: "In FCK, we're up against the best team in the league at the moment in my view. Their defence is very man-oriented and they have impressive individual quality in attack. In Terrence Boyd, they have a player who holds the ball up very well, and in Aaron Opoku and Kenny Prince Redondo they have two lads with lots of pace on the flanks. They're quite a big side, so they'll always be a threat at set pieces. They're also good in transition and increase the tempo quickly according to the situation. They can create chances and score goals from any situation. With them, it's not not only about the defence, they like to play football, too. This whole mix will push us to the limit. We'll need to come up with answers, especially for their man-marking. They're a well-honed team and very stable, so it'll be a great test of character for us."

...the matchup young (FCSP) against old (FCK) and the associated approach: "I approach every game the same way and try to prepare my team to the maximum whether we're playing a young team or an old one. It's important for us to focus on what we've done well and are doing well. Staying solid at the back will again be a theme against Kaiserslautern. I'm preparing my team for what Kaiserslautern do well in attack. We have to be alert at the back. We have to keep a clean sheet collectively and bring our attacking strengths to the pitch. “

Photos: Witters