“It would be too easy to put it behind us that quickly,” said head coach Julian Schuster, in reference to SC’s disappointing exit from the DFB-Pokal in midweek in Bielefeld. “I think we’ve found the right balance and have also allowed ourselves the time to be disappointed. Now, it’s important that we draw certain conclusions. We didn’t defend well at times. It’s not about our shape, but rather about individual behaviours such as reaction time.”

The head coach was also able to draw constructive feedback from the penalty miss in Bielefeld, adding to SC’s lack of success from the spot over the last weeks and months. “The important thing is that we talk about it and that we look at what the opposition’s goalkeeper is doing. It might help us that in this case, we’re extremely familiar with the goalkeeper that will be between the sticks on Sunday.”

Good record in Sinsheim

Schuster often shared the pitch with TSG’s Oliver Baumann during their time together at SC, although the 34-year-old has been in goal for Hoffenheim for a decade now. Baumann hasn’t won any of his last six home games against his former employers, taking just a point from these matches. “I always look at the results that might help us, like in this case,” Schuster said.

Each of TSG’s three wins this season have all come on home soil, with Schuster taking particular note of their impressive 4-3 win against RB Leipzig on head coach Christian Ilzer’s debut around two weeks ago. “There was a lot of energy to be seen out on the pitch. Now, they have lost three times in three different competitions. It’s possible to lose in Mainz, while the game in Wolfsburg was wide open for much of the match. We can’t draw false conclusions based on these results, however.”

A total of 2,900 SC fans will make the trip to Sinsheim with the team on Sunday, with the possibility of more. SC will have nearly a full squad to choose from, with only Junior Adamu (red-card suspension) and Daniel Kofi-Kyereh (long-term injury) still unable to feature. Eren Dinkci and Florian Müller, who had to be taken off in Bielefeld after knocking heads with an opponent “are planned” to be part of the squad.

Photo: SC Freiburg