Professionals, 28. February 2020
The Cannstatt boys earned a 2-0 victory over the Clover Leaves in the reverse fixture earlier this season, and Matarazzo and Co. have no intention of easing up as they enjoy a rich vein of form. With that in mind the first goal of the game is likely to be decisive, as the team that has broken the deadlock in the 11 previous competitive meetings has gone on to earn all three points; Fürth have won four times, VfB six, with one goalless draw.
VfB have plenty of cause for optimism in light of their four-game unbeaten run away from home, and they are determined to keep improving that record on foreign soil.
Badstuber and Kaminski on the right track
In terms of personnel, the situation is better than it has been in a long time. “Marc Kempf and Sasa Kalajdzic are the only players we’re still missing,” confirmed Matarazzo. And while the VfB coach also revealed that centre-backs Holger Badstuber and Marcin Kaminski “are both back in full training”, neither are ready to return to the starting line-up just yet.
“Our defence will look fairly similar to the way it’s been in the last few games because we’ve been very stable,” Matarazzo said. Indeed, the VfB rearguard has been so solid that the team has not conceded in over 300 minutes of league action, and only let in a single goal in five Bundesliga 2 outings in 2020.
Nevertheless, Matarazzo is taking nothing for granted against Stefan Leitl’s side and is anticipating “a very bold and strong Fürth side who will implement their positional game. They’re an awkward opponent in terms of pressing. They attack you aggressively and high up the pitch.”
And despite the positive mood in the VfB camp as a result of the successful start to the year, Matarazzo is ensuring the team keep their feet firmly on the ground: “We’ve only laid the foundation and got ourselves into a good position to continue our hunt. The league table is of secondary importance. All that matters is getting all three points in Fürth. We want to keep attacking, keep hunting and keep moving forward.”