The next Europa League night is nearly upon us. For the first time in 13 years, VfB Stuttgart play in the last 16 of a European competition – and for the first time ever, they face FC Porto. The Cannstatt club welcome the Portuguese giants to the MHP Arena for the first leg at 18:45 CET on Thursday, where they will be looking to establish a good position in the tie, as Sebastian Hoeneß pointed out.
“A really big challenge”
“We have a really big challenge on our hands, which we’re approaching with great excitement,” said the head coach. “It will require a top performance. If we show any weaknesses, they’ll be punished immediately at this level.” The chance to prove yourselves at this high, international level is exactly what makes these games so appealing, the 43-year-old explained, adding: “we’re competitors and we want to get as far as possible in the competition.”
The opposition are undoubtedly one of the biggest names and strongest teams in this season’s competition. Porto have won the Portuguese championship 30 times, claimed the UEFA Champions League title in 2004 and the Europa League in 2011. “They’re a team who could just as easily be in the round of 16 of the Champions League,” said Hoeneß. “They’re a top team. They play with very high intensity, are very willing to sprint and cover a lot of ground – and as well as all the athletic qualities, they can play really good football too.”
Vagnoman ruled out
“Efficiency will be a key factor – as will the energy and passion in our play,” continued Hoeneß. “We’ll need our best performance to get a good result.”
Of the players eligible for the Europa League, only Josha Vagnoman is unavailable due to injury.
