Markus Gisdol: "Growth cannot continue at this rate forever"

Markus Gisdol on…

…the opposition:

We've been observing Aalen for a while. We played particular attention to their home game against Ingolstadt as they were facing the side at the top of the second division. They played well then. It's an all or nothing game – perhaps it's Aalen's biggest match of the season – consequently, I think it's going to be a tight, hard fought match. Our players will not know as much about their direct opponent as they do in the Bundesliga. There are some players in Aalen's squad that we don't know a lot about, which makes it tougher. After to the recent rainfall, it's going to be a difficult and very heavy pitch to play on as well.

…personnel:

Tarik Elyounoussi won't be involved against Aalen – he hasn't fully recovered from his thigh problems. Apart from that I have everyone at my disposal. It's possible that I'll make a couple of changes to the team that started against Mainz, but Saturday's game against Schalke won't influence my thoughts. It's possible that I'll change my goalkeeper – I have full faith in Jens Grahl and may reward him for the fantastic work he puts in on the training field.

…the current situation:

Expectation levels amongst fans and the media have risen. For some, picking up a point in Freiburg or finding life tough against a buoyant Mainz side isn't enough. Improvement can't continue at this rate forever, but we have an aim for the cup game: We want to progress to the next round.

Previous games:

It's important to note that the following statistics are of little relevance these days. However, for the sake of completeness: Hoffenheim and Aalen have met 12 times. Each fixture has been played out in the Regionalliga Süd, all between 2001 and 2007. Hoffenheim have picked up six victories, while Aalen have come out on top three times and there have been three draws. A current TSG star is responsible for the last goal scored in a match between the sides. Set-piece specialist Sejad Salihovic scored from the spot in a 1-1 draw which took place in March 2007.

The opponents' form:

Aalen haven't won a competitive game since 5th December 2014. They are 17th in the second-tier, which sees them occupy a direct relegation spot. Their last victory came against Heidenheim in early December but despite struggling in the lower reaches of the table, they have picked up creditable points against Ingolstadt, Darmstadt and Leipzig – all of whom are challenging for promotion to the Bundesliga. Aalen certainly shouldn't be underestimated; it's going to be anything but a walk in the park for TSG.

The key battles:

The TSG stars cover on average 3.2km more than their Aalen counterparts. Hoffenheim also win at least 30 tackles more per game than the opposition, which works out at a 2% higher success rate. The biggest difference comes in the air: Bicakcic, Modeste & Co. win 51% of their aerial duals, where as Aalen win 43%.

Match facts and statistics »