„Difficult to uncover Hannover’s weaknesses“

Hannover is a very difficult opponent with a specific style of play and a clear game plan. Our main objective is to expose their weaknesses. They are a very possession-based team, but they also take a lot of risks. They play under a lot of pressure, pressing high and man-marking to force possession. We have to face these challenges. It’s a clash between two teams that have been very convincing in terms of performance so far this season. We haven’t always gotten the rewards we deserved for our efforts, as was the case against Bielefeld on Saturday. Hannover has also experienced this. We expect a very exciting match on Saturday.

It’s difficult to pinpoint Hannover’s weaknesses. They lie in their risk assessment. When they play every ball under pressure, it’s hard to contain them. But that’s precisely what you have to try to prevent. If you play a wide, open pitch, you create a lot of space, even when you don’t have the ball. Everyone knows that I really appreciate the way Christian Titz has his team play.

Possession-based football is something we also like to play. But we’re multifaceted in our play with the ball and have solutions that go beyond simply having possession, for example, looking for quick counter-attacks that come into play a fraction of a second earlier. It will also be a very exciting match tactically, where it will come down to who brings more intensity to the pitch.

We had a tough week. We were still playing in the cup, which meant we had a midweek fixture with the smallest possible gap between Schalke and Bielefeld. Therefore, not all players were able to play the full 90 minutes. But we recovered and trained as usual. Fraser’s absence against Bielefeld was also just a sign of fatigue. Accordingly, we expect all players to be fully available.

I’d like to dispel the myth that the second half was Bielefeld’s half. Bielefeld’s tactical change happened in the 20th minute. I didn’t feel that this posed any major challenges for us tactically. In the second half, Bielefeld had two shots on goal and one wide, but we still had four clear-cut chances.

After the Magdeburg game, I also said that it was a poor performance from us. But in this case, I want to defend my team and say: despite substituting four key players, we were the better team in the second half as well.

We haven’t won in four games in the second division, which is frustrating. However, in terms of performance, I think our last two games were very good – that’s the crucial point. Overall, this period of the season from October until now has been quite challenging, especially regarding personnel. All in all, we’re coming out of this phase with a solid performance. Of course, we’d like to win again, but we see ourselves as stable and on the right track.

I see his development as extremely positive. One development that isn’t so visible to the public is that he’s matured – in the way he approaches professional sports. When I arrived here, Luca was a free spirit. Last year, I gave him a stern talking-to. I told him that one of the greatest talents I’ve seen in my career would be wasted if he didn’t develop in this respect.

With a little time, and here I have to commend my coaching staff, but also Luca himself, who was willing to leave his comfort zone, he’s found a seriousness in his game and in his work that allows his strengths to shine through. Luca is always fit and a very good example of how personal and athletic development become visible on the pitch. For me, Luca has been one of Darmstadt’s best players in recent months.

He came through the midweek fixture very well. He’s in top form, and I’m delighted about that. That’s not something to take for granted after such a long break. It speaks volumes about his professionalism. He brings experience to the team and is a strong presence on the pitch. He has a good sense of risk and can orchestrate the game well from left-back. That’s why he’s earned his playing time in recent weeks and, like Leon Klassen, is an option for the match in Hannover.