Nagelsmann: "Hertha are difficult to analyse"

Julian Nagelsmann on…

…the personnel situation: "I still haven't seen all the players. Vincenzo Grifo, Reiss Nelson and Stefan Posch will only be returning from international duty today. All the others are fit and healthy, so I will have the full squad available and at my disposal at the weekend. Benjamin Hübner and Dennis Geiger are making progress but are not yet contenders for a place in the squad."

…the international fixtures: "Rather than just watching a game, I take a look at clips. Sometimes it's also good not to see too much and to give the lads some breathing space. I obviously know the results and who performed well or badly."

…the upcoming games: "The next block of games is slightly different. I won't have to place as much focus on squad rotation. Obviously there's a difference between those who have trained here for two weeks and those who played two lots of 90 minutes. We're currently the club with the most international call-ups in the Bundesliga."

…the opposition: "I'm under the assumption Hertha will be going for the win. They're currently not on the best run but have had a solid season. They have a few injury concerns in the defensive department. Hertha have a lot of good footballers and are incredibly difficult to analyse."

…the break: "When you're on a run, you always wanted to continue. That said, it always does you good to take a breather from time to time. I don't think it'll disrupt our flow."

The opposition's form:

Hertha Berlin made a strong start to the season, but their form has tailed off in recent weeks and they have not picked up a win in their last five matches. Coach Pal Dardai's charges currently sit in eighth place in the table with 16 points after 11 rounds of matches.

Head-to-head record:

The teams have met on 16 previous occasions. Hoffenheim have the marginally better head-to-head record, with seven wins and five defeats against the capital club. Of the last five meetings, TSG have won three and drawn two.

Match facts and statistics »