Stuttgart hope to upset Gladbach on home soil: "The energy and anticipation is at its highest level"
Ahead of the biggest heavyweight clash of the 2020/21 DFB Pokal's round-of-16, VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat and head-coach Pellegrino Matarazzo amped up the rhetoric.
After a highly entertaining, heavily tactical 2-2 draw in the Bundesliga's 16th round, Pellegrino Matarazzo and Marco Rose prepare for a highly anticipated re-match in Germany's domestic cup. This time, there will be a winner no matter what.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat called the match "our Champions League" and proclaimed "we want to invest everything to advance." On Tuesday, his head-coach echoed those sentiments.
"We're up for this game. It's a top game," Matarazzo told journalists, "The energy and anticipation is at its highest level. One could feel that in training. We want to approach this encounter offensively and courageously."
Both Mislintat and Matarazzo conceded that the foals should be considered the favorite. The American trainer even spent five minutes enumerating Gladbach's specific strengths, analyzing the team's powerful personnel from top to bottom.
The VfB head-coach divulged that left-flanking talisman Borna Sosa and first-choice keeper Gregor Kobel had shaken off minor injuries and would be available. Asked if he would rest Kobel in favor of back-up net-minder Fabian Bredlow, as he did in the most recent match against Freiburg, Matarazzo declined to commit.
Stuttgart earned their first home win of the season at the Mercedes Benz arena with a 2-0 defeat of Mainz in the most recent league round. Matarazzo called for similar "defensive vigilance" on home soil this time as the Swabians prepare to welcome a red-hot team from Nordrhein-westfallen.
Gladbach are undefeated in their last seven fixtures. This includes four wins in January to open up the new calendar year.