TSG commence training week in Windischgarsten

The TSG Hoffenheim coach was very satisfied after the 95-minute-long session, saying: "The pitch is in an outstanding condition. It's at Bundesliga level, which isn't to be taken for granted in a training camp." The 31-year-old was equally impressed by the condition of his players, who are only four weeks into their preparations for the 2018/19 season. Nagelsmann believes them to be in a better condition than they were at the same stage of last summer and even went as far as to say that he would have no qualms if the domestic campaign were to start tomorrow. He added that the players have made an excellent impression in their friendlies to date, such as the 8-2 thrashing of Heerenveen on Saturday.

In the Upper Austrian town of Windischgarsten, where TSG arrived on Sunday a day before the start of their second pre-season training camp, the head coach's primary objective is to work on offensive play in detail. "We've already touched on the focal points for this week today. Tomorrow is where it really starts. We want to develop solutions for the final third," he said. By intensively rehearsing procedures until they come automatically, the TSG players are preparing for situations where opposing teams withdraw deep into their own half.

Among the absentees from the TSG squad on Monday were Dennis Geiger, who was still training individually as recovers from the injury he sustained in spring, and Benjamin Hübner, who has calf issues. Lukas Rupp stayed at home due to his knee injury and will undergo rehab training. The only other absentee is Andrej Kramaric, who will not start training until next week having been granted extra holiday after playing in the World Cup final. But fellow World Cup participant Steven Zuber, who reached the knockout stages with Switzerland, linked up with the team on Sunday. He is joined back in training by the trio of Kevin Akpoguma, Florian Grillitsch and Ishak Belfodil, who were all unable to complete all the sessions last week. Towards the end of the training session, Alfons Amade and Christoph Baumgartner both arrived, having featured for the TSG U23s in the 2-1 Regionalliga defeat in Steinbach on Sunday. Robin Hack, also part of that U23 squad, is expected later.

Attacking "in the final third" the focal point in training

With the sun shining down and temperatures at around 30 degrees, the players were divided into three separate groups. Assistant coach Matthias Kaltenbach took charge of the defenders for the first session in Windischgarsten, focusing on their build-up play. Assistant coach Pellegrino Matarazzo coordinated the group rehearsing attacking play with passing and running exercises, while Julian Nagelsmann himself observed the finishing exercises in which only headers were permitted.

The players who featured for 45 minutes or more in the 8-2 friendly victory over SC Heerenveen on Saturday were allowed to stop training after a little over an hour, climbing into the ice baths that had been supplied. Those who had less playing time trained for around 30 minutes longer. There will be no training in the afternoon, with the team instead set for a challenging action programme that will see them visit the same tree-top adventure park they went to last year in the Pyhrn-Priel region. There will be two sessions on Tuesday, however.