Porto, Portugal – Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeneß is urging his team to remain composed and adaptable ahead of Thursday’s crucial Europa League round of 16 second leg against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão. Despite a 2-1 defeat in the first leg in Germany, Hoeneß believes Stuttgart has the capability to overturn the deficit and reach the quarter-finals.
The German coach addressed the media on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for a pragmatic approach. “The result was good for FC Porto, but it’s only a one-goal difference and away goals don’t carry the same weight as before,” Hoeneß stated. “If we score, we go to extra time. It will be a game played on the edge. We saw how tight it was at home. FC Porto might have more to lose with this narrow lead, but tomorrow we’ll see how it plays out.”
Hoeneß acknowledged the challenge posed by a Porto side currently enjoying a strong run of form, having recently secured a victory in the Portuguese Liga. However, he stressed the importance of focusing on Stuttgart’s own performance and maintaining a clear head. “It’s not just about playing beautiful football,” he said. “Success isn’t achieved by that alone. You have to be able to play all types of football. We need to work on motivation, always push our limits… I’m certain we will be motivated.”
The Stuttgart manager also provided an update on team availability. “Jovanovic has been injured for months, Vagnoman has returned, and Leweling is fit. We’ll see if he can play tomorrow. Vagnoman is capable of playing… If there’s no risk, he could start. He’s physically fit, and if the doctors say everything is okay, he might start, eventually.”
Hoeneß anticipates a high-intensity start from his team, but also cautioned against rushing things. “We know we have a tough task ahead of us. FC Porto is having an incredible season. It’s not important to dwell on the past. We don’t need to score within the first 10 minutes, but we can, and it’s important to create momentum early on. It’s important to have an emotional game, but a stable one, with our feet and heads. After that, the game develops, and we need to see how things unfold. We need freedom, emotion, and we have to score more than our opponent to secure qualification.”
The Stuttgart boss also touched on the importance of Deniz Undav’s form, following a strong performance for the player in Leipzig. “I don’t interfere in team selections, and I won’t start now. But it’s clear that Deniz Undav had a great game in Leipzig. It’s not just about being called up to the national team. He plays like that as it’s in his nature. It’s extremely important for the national team that he scores decisive goals. A player who scores 16 goals in a season is good… We need to look at this positively.”
Hoeneß briefly addressed recent controversy surrounding decisions made by the DFB (German Football Association), stating, “We talked amongst ourselves about that. I think the final word hasn’t been said yet. We need to wait. It’s a shame, regardless of the next steps. You don’t eliminate a winning team like that, it’s unworthy of the competition, but that’s all I can say at the moment. I watched the final live and had never seen anything like it. Now this decision… it’s bizarre.”
Regarding the potential involvement of Maximilian Mittelstädt, Hoeneß emphasized the player’s fitness and commitment. “I won’t talk much about that… I’ll keep that secret for tomorrow, but you can ask the player. Max hasn’t played in these last two games, which is unusual and demonstrates his value. Our players are all in good shape, which is why I’ve made the decisions I have. Max wants to play, of course, but he’s also very focused, accepted the decision well, and is doing well in the dressing room… For me, he’s always been at a very high level. He continues to be very important to us.”
Hoeneß stressed the need for balance and a clear mindset. “As in everything in life, you need balance. It’s important to put the bad things from last week behind you and start from scratch. You need a cool head to be able to create good decisions. Some players have already been in many important matches. I’m fine, I don’t feel much pressure. I feel some anticipation, but the rest will come at the time of the game. Little has changed since last week. We want to play these games, it’s a challenge we face. There’s a great opportunity here. We’ve been growing in recent years and know that, together, we can do incredible things.”
Looking ahead to the tactical battle, Hoeneß anticipates minimal changes in approach from either side. “There hasn’t been much time between games to train, and both teams shouldn’t change their style of play much overall. Something might change, but nothing special. The most important thing is the mental component of the game, which will be relevant.”
Stuttgart’s Europa League campaign continues with a high-stakes encounter in Porto. The match at the Estádio do Dragão is scheduled for Thursday, March 20th, with a kickoff time of 20:00 local time (19:00 UTC). A win for Stuttgart would see them advance to the quarter-finals, a historic achievement for the club.
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