Mittelstädt says Stuttgart are "extremely excited" ahead of Atalanta clash
“We are extremely excited,” said the German full-back. “Games in the Champions League are something special for each of us, especially here in the stadium with our fans behind us. We are facing a very good opponent and need to give our best performance to keep something here.”
Mittelstädt also spoke out regarding the return of defender Jeff Chabot.
“Jeff can give a lot to our game. He is strong in tackles and headers and throws himself into every shot. He is extremely good for us defensively and gives us stability. You can always be sure that he is there when you need him.”
The 27-year-old went on to highlight the defensive improvement of VfB this campaign, as well as their turn in form after a mixed start to the campaign.
“We can be satisfied with the point in Leverkusen. We also managed to keep a clean sheet against Juve. Overall, if you ignore the Bayern game, we have improved enormously defensively. We have not conceded many goals and are on the right track.”
“Especially after the Bayern game, the victory in Turin was good for us. But not only the result, but also the way we won was satisfactory.”
“We had Juve under control and kept making our mark. The game also strengthened us mentally as a team. We are in good form at the moment and can go into the game with a lot of confidence to bring our best possible performance onto the pitch.”
On the prospect of facing the Europa League winners in Atalanta, Mittelstädt echoed similar thoughts to that of his manager.
“They leave little space and bring a high level of individual quality. But we have also managed to get other teams with such offensive power under control.”
“When we bring our defensive quality onto the pitch, we are always able to create moments and come up with offensive actions.”
VfB sit 18th in the current standings, one place below Atalanta. Wednesday evening's clash between Die Schwaben and La Dea is set to be a crucial clash in regards to the hopes of both sides' progression to the knockout phase of the competition.