Matarazzo reflects on December success against Bochum: “That was a good game from us.”

Speaking at his Thursday pre-match press conference, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim trainer Pellegrino Matarazzo spoke on the potential of returning to a set of tactics that proved successful against VfL Bochum in the Hin-runde. 

For the second time this season, VfL Bochum and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are preparing to raise the curtain on a Bundesliga match-day via a Friday night fixture. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Kraichgauer defeated then head-coach Thomas Letsch’s Revierklub in a very convincing fashion at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim back in early December, The Hin-runde result featured a major tactical coup from Matarazzo.

Croatian attacker Andrej Kramaric put in a dazzling performance from the ten-slot. Asked whether he might consider using the same brilliant tactical construct again, the TSG trainer admitted that he was at least toying with returning to the successful 4-2-3-1. Matarazzo’s Kraichgauer successfully prevailed over Gladbach last weekend in a 3-5-2. 

“That was a good game from us,” Matarazzo said of the previous win over Bochum, “We scored a lot of goals by following our match-plan and principles. It [a return to the previous tactics] is of course an option, but this match is about the decisions we make during the match. We have to play to our strength’s, win duels, and take the game forward.” 

A back-four might be an option for Matarazzo as he does have four options at center back. A surprisingly successful shift from surprise starter Robert Skov against Gladbach also speaks to the idea of letting Skov and Kaderabek work as fullbacks on an axis close to Florian Grillitsch. The TSG trainer can also build an effective back-five.