Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann expecting challenge from Hoffenheim

When Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann takes a look at his old club, Hoffenheim, he sees a very capable opponent led by a very good coach in Sebastian Hoeneß.

“He’s doing very, very well. He’s a great coach and good guy. We call and text each other from time to time. He’s one of the colleagues with whom it’s easy to exchange ideas. I’m happy that things are going so well for him,” said Nagelsmann (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

As far as who Nagelsmann will send out against Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann said that he just wants the best possible players.

“There’s nothing wrong with variability, but generally we try to bring the most in-form players onto the pitch, with some adjustment. We have 13, 14 players getting 95% of the game time. If some starters are out, the roles are more distributed,” said Nagelsmann. “We need the whole squad throughout the season. In the end it’s up to the player himself how much game time he gets. Overall, we have a very good team and we’re doing very well at the moment. Things are looking good. There will be some squad changes because we are allowed three players less than in the Champions League. We’ll make adjustments, but as usual, I won’t reveal that now”

Finally, Nagelsmann stressed the importance of this match and why his squad needed the jolt of energy it got from its big win over Red Bull Salzburg.

“The win against Salzburg was very impressive and very important. I would be surprised if that doesn’t boost the team’s self-confidence. We had a day off yesterday to recharge the batteries for tomorrow’s tough away game,” Nagelsmann said.