VfB Stuttgart vs Hoffenheim preview - Veh: Win is vital for Stuttgart

Posted Friday, September 19, 2014 by PA

Stuttgart coach Armin Veh has warned his side must beat local rivals Hoffenheim on Saturday if they want to win back some of the self-confidence lost during a difficult start to the season.

The Swabians have picked up just a single point from their first three games of the season, going down to defeat at Bayern Munich last weekend and leaving them only one option at the Mercedes-Benz-Arena this weekend.

"There's nothing other than a win," he said. "Then things will be a lot easier for us.

For that, Veh hopes the fans will forget the disappointment of their previous home game of the season, which ended in an unexpected defeat to Cologne, and rally behind the players.

"We need their support," he added at a press conference. "The team have got to show the fans that they desperately want to win.

"We've trained well and we've improved, but now we've got to show that on Saturday."

The confidence levels are much higher in the Hoffenheim camp, with Markus Gisdol's men yet to drop a point all season.

However, he has warned of how that statistic will change in this Baden-Wurttemberg derby if his team are not careful.

"We mustn't let their recent results mislead us," Gisdol said. "They are a difficult side to fathom.

"They played very well against Gladbach and also against Cologne, and they have great quality in their attacking midfield so we're going to have to watch out."

Gisdol has several doubts in addition to the certain loss of Ermin Bicakcic.

"Sead Salihovic has a cut on his knee, Adam Szalai has tonsilitis and it's very doubtful that he will be fit in time," Gisdol said on his club's website.

"Kevin Volland has also only trained twice because of his back problems."