The VfB head coach is well aware of the significance of the fixture, but insists it is “a game we want to win” first and foremost, while taking a pragmatic view on “all the hype, which I have no control over”.
Three days before kick-off at the sold-out Mercedes-Benz Arena, the 44-year-old nevertheless used his pre-match press conference to appeal for common sense to prevail on the day: “I hope the match takes centre stage and everything else remains calm. Fairness always comes first.”
Walter insisted he and his side would “give absolutely everything we’ve got to represent the club in a positive light and to make our fans happy”.
He also warned of the threat the visitors pose at set-pieces: “They’re really good in those situations. They’ve got a lot of big players in their squad, there’s no denying that.” VfB’s countermeasures will involve “not allowing them to get in those dangerous situations in the first place, even if it’s not something we can completely avoid”.
Walter concluded by outlining what he expects from his charges at the back: “We’ll need to throw everything we’ve got at them and defend in the same way, and go into every header and every tackle with desire and conviction.”