VfB are among the best attacks in the league, with Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side having found the back of the net eight times in four matches already this season, behind only Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich (both on 13 goals) and this weekend’s opponents Bayer 04 Leverkusen (12 goals). Even so, the forward line was where Matarazzo could see room for improvement after their last outing away to Frankfurt, with the 43-year-old saying on Friday: “We weren’t calm enough on the ball up front and made too many simple mistakes.”
At the other end of the pitch, the lads from Cannstatt looked more stable defensively, allowing Frankfurt to create very few genuine chances. “The willingness to defend was clear to see from everyone on the pitch,” the VfB head coach explained. “We need to keep that up without neglecting our offensive duties.”
At home to Leverkusen on Sunday (15:30 CEST), Wataru Endo and his team-mates will need to strike the right balance between attack and defence. “If you give Leverkusen room then they are so, so dangerous. They are the best team in the league on the break,” said Matarazzo. “We can’t play with the handbrake on, though. We need to be active and play with real intensity.” The home crowd will certainly do their very best to ensure that VfB have the best possible conditions to achieve that goal.
Personnel
As was already the case away to Frankfurt, the VfB head coach will have to do without Philipp Förster, who is suffering from an infection. Waldemar Anton is suspended and will also be missing on Sunday.