“Wins always do you good”

Head coach Dino Toppmöller on …

… how things stand: “The boys look good. Wins always do you good – they help with your mood too. We got off to a very good start in 2025 with the result at St. Pauli, and now we want to have a very good start to the year at home, together with our fans. We want all three points, which would also mean it’s been the club’s best-ever first half of a season. That’s a big motivation for me and my team. It’s great when you can set new benchmarks like that.”

… team news: “Things are looking good. Tuta is back in full team training and is a candidate to start.”

… Omar Marmoush: “He’s making a good impression and is doing well in training. He’ll be in the starting line-up against Freiburg.” 

… upcoming opponent Freiburg: “They’re are a very cohesive side, they cover a lot of ground and they’re good at set pieces. Freiburg tend to fly under the radar a bit in terms of how they’re perceived, but you can only doff your hat to them for what they’ve done this season and in recent years. They’re quietly having a good season [in sixth place on 27 points]. It’s been a seamless transition from Christian Streich to Julian Schuster as head coach. Their togetherness as a team is their strength. They’re a very balanced and interesting side – the team is the star. That’s very clear to see when you analyse them.”

… the defence: “We're leaving it open as to whether we defend in a back five or back four tomorrow. We're still pondering that in the coaching team, also with regard to Tuta.”

… Hugo Ekitiké: “Hugo Ekitiké had a few chances against St. Pauli but obviously players are judged on goals. He's scored 11 goals in 29 Bundesliga games - Omar had 12 in his first 29 games for us. We also have to give the boys time to develop."Hugo Ekitiké had a few chances against St. Pauli but obviously players are judged on goals. He's scored 11 goals in 29 Bundesliga games - Omar had 12 in his first 29 games for us. We also have to give the boys time to develop.”