Sebastian Kehl on the approach against Sporting:

"With a lot of optimism, anticipation of course, but also with a clear focus on wanting to get a good result. We know it's two games. We know that we can achieve a lot at home next week and with the support of our fans. But above all, we need a good performance tomorrow and a good starting position. We'll do everything we can to keep a compact shape and give ourselves the chance to switch things up in transition. There will be spaces. At the end of the day, we absolutely need to get back to the

...processing the Stuttgart game:

"We managed to pull out a few aspects of our play that were okay. We want to build on them tomorrow. There's no alternative, we have to stay positive. We trust this team, we also firmly believe that we will win again, that we still have a lot of opportunities this season. Tomorrow we have another tournament. We really want to reach the round of 16 and that's why we're going to be properly prepared."

...new coach Niko Kovac:

"We've had a few days together now and unfortunately we didn't get a good result at the weekend. That has overshadowed a few things, but I nevertheless view him very positively. I see him as very calm, very confident in dealing with the team and the current issues, clear and focused. I think that's what we need now: to prepare the team very well for tomorrow's game and approach it with the necessary conviction. That's why I'm very optimistic. Apart from that, we simply need a sense of achievement. That will do us all a lot of good."

...opponents Sporting Lisbon:

"An exciting team with some outstanding players. A team that are top of the league, full of confidence, playing in front of their home crowd, a good footballing side. A difficult task awaits us. But we want to give it everything we've got against a really good opponent, who will of course fancy their chances."

... Sporting's star striker Viktor Gyökeres:

"We'll need our centre-backs to play well. He's scored over 20 goals in the league alone, he's also scored in the Champions League. The best way to stop him is by not allowing him to get into goal-scoring areas. Of course, that won't always work, but we have to be tight, defend compactly, maybe take the joy out of their game a little."