FIRST TEAM
11/27/2019

Bodzek: "TSG will want to show their true colours"

Adam Bodzek has been at Fortuna Düsseldorf since 2011. In an interview with achtzehn99.de, the 34-year-old talked about Saturday's clash at the PreZero Arena (15:30 CET/Live Ticker at achtzehn99.de), facing former team-mates Ihlas Bebou and Kevin Akpoguma, and the strengths of TSG loanee Kasim Adams.

In terms of personnel and tactics, Hoffenheim have changed compared to last season. What sets TSG apart?

"They're a team that is confident on the ball and builds the play very well via their back three. They occupy space well and work their way forward with lots of passes. And in Ihlas Bebou, who we still know very well in Düsseldorf, and Andrej Kramarić, who has a very good goalscoring record in the Bundesliga, they're very well stocked in attacking positions. We'll need to stay alert and approach this challenge as a team."

Hoffenheim were beaten 5-1 by Mainz at the weekend. How do you expect the team to play against you on Saturday?

"They'll want to show their true colours. Hoffenheim were on a very good run of form before that and won five matches. They'll definitely want to make amends in front of their own fans. Whether they succeed in that respect will depend on us and how we perform. In an ideal scenario, we'd obviously like to continue where Mainz left off: by applying pressure to prevent TSG from getting into the game."

"16th place doesn't make anyone here nervous"

Fortuna Düsseldorf dropped to 16th place following the last round of matches and are now in the drop zone. Has that affected morale?

"We've already shown several times that we don't let difficult situations get to us and that we can deal with them. There are still so many matches to play. What's important is that we're not in a relegation berth at the end of the campaign. That's our season goal, and being in 16th place for now doesn't make anyone here nervous."

Are you looking forward to facing your former Düsseldorf team-mates Kevin Akpoguma and Ihlas Bebou?

"Absolutely, both were an unbelievable help to us here in Düsseldorf and have developed impressively. They're super lads, who have worked to get where they are, were always focused on their objective and now deserve to be playing for a club such as Hoffenheim."

"Kasim is a big help to us"

You'll be facing each other on Saturday. You've played against TSG on three occasions – and never lost. What's your objective for Saturday?

"If my run continues, then I'd obviously be delighted with that. We've already shown on several occasions that we can compete anywhere. If we perform in the way we know we can, then we have a chance to leave Hoffenheim with points. That's our objective on Saturday."

Kasim Adams is currently playing in Düsseldorf following a loan move from TSG. How's he developing at Fortuna?

"Kasim is physically very strong, technically capable and fast for a central defender. He's a big help to us."

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