Andras Schäfer hopes for the first three points in the Europa League. He expects an interesting match in Malmö.
Andras Schäfer is on a roll. The midfielder plays regularly for 1. FC Union Berlin as well as for the Hungarian national team. With his club he is top of the Bundesliga, and with Hungary he recently won 1-0 against Germany in Leipzig. “What happens at Union is like a miracle. And Bundesliga players like Christoph Kramer say that Hungary plays like Union,” Schäfer told a media roundtable at the An der Alten Försterei stadium on Tuesday.
Two days before Union’s away game on Thursday at Malmö FF, the Europa League competition was supposed to be the focus of the conversation. But due to the absence from training of coach Urs Fischer, who had tested positive for Corona, Schäfer naturally also had to comment on the Eisernen’s football coach.
Schäfer takes a pragmatic view of Fischer’s impending absence, even though the club is probably still hoping for a clearance test by matchday. “It can happen. It’s always bad when the head coach is not there before such important games. But the coach always says we have to accept something like that. That’s what we’re doing now,” Schäfer explained. The blond believes that Fischer will coordinate with his staff, especially co-coach Markus Hoffmann, regarding training and tactics so that the team will be perfectly prepared.
Schäfer: “It will be a tough, interesting and important game “
The starting position is equally bad for both Malmö and Union. Both teams came away empty-handed from the first two matchdays in Group D. To be able to spend the winter internationally, Union would now have to score – preferably three times. “It will be a tough, interesting and important game. But that shouldn’t stress us, we still have four games. We want to win,” said Schäfer.
In terms of personnel, defenders Julian Ryerson and Robin Knoche are available again, having missed Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt due to a cold and personal reasons. The duo trained with the team on Tuesday morning.
