Gulde: "It'll be a difficult and intense match"

Manuel, you joined the TSG Hoffenheim youth academy from VfL Neckarau along with Marco Terrazzino and several others in 2007. You won the B-Youth Championship with TSG. What was so special about that time and that group of players?

"There were seven of us who moved from VfL Neckarau to TSG Hoffenheim. That's obviously something special. We had a strong core, had lots of fun together and were very successful. Everything was just right. We then rounded off the season by winning the B-Youth Championship."

Marco Terrazzino is now your team-mate in Freiburg. Do you still sometimes speak about that time?

"Sure. We often enjoy talking about it. It was a great time and it's fun to cast our minds back to it."

You made your Bundesliga debut while in Hoffenheim but then completed a switch to SC Paderborn in 2012. What are your memories of that time and how has the club changed since then?

"It was Ralf Rangnick who handed me my Bundesliga debut while I was a Hoffenheim player. For that, I'm very grateful to him and Dietmar Hopp. When Ralf Rangnick departed, things became more turbulent and there were lots of changes of coach. In my opinion, the club did not initially develop significantly in that period. But since Julian Nagelsmann became coach, things have been going very well for TSG."

"Staying in the division remains our aim"

You currently occupy a mid-table position. What are your targets for this season?

"Staying in the division remains our aim. We currently have 21 points and we want to get a few more on the board this term. We obviously want to secure our top-flight status as early as possible."

You were winning 1-0 at half-time in the reverse fixture but lost 3-1. What was that down to?

"We conceded an unnecessary goal directly after the break where we invited TSG to score. Shortly before half-time, we had a major opportunity through Florian Niederlechner to extend our lead to 2-0, but Oliver Baumann made a strong save. We deservedly lost based on what happened afterwards."

How do you think the match will go on Saturday?

"I think it'll be a difficult and intense match for both teams. Small details will decide who ultimately wins the game. We need to produce a cohesive team performance if we're to get the better of TSG."

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