“A real highlight for all of us“ | OneFootball

After arriving in London on Wednesday evening, head coach Dino Toppmöller and Ellyes Skhiri looked ahead to the meeting with Tottenham at the pre-match press conference.

Eintracht are at Tottenham Hotspur for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final. At the pre-match media briefing, Dino Toppmöller and Ellyes Skhiri gave their thoughts on... Dino Topppmöller ... … How things stand: “We can’t wait for this game, it’s a real highlight for all of us. Both teams thoroughly deserve to be in the quarter-finals. It’ll be a gripping game and obviously we want to come out on top. We need to be at our best as a team. We’re aware of the individual quality we’re facing with the likes of Son, Solanke and lots of other names. But we’ve got a team that can compete with Spurs.”

… Tottenham Hotspur: “We’re facing one of the favourites for the title, alongside Manchester United. We’re aware of the quality they have and that they’re led by a very good coach.”

… Ansgar Knauff: “Unfortunately, Ansgar Knauff isn’t quite ready. We’ve got a few ideas about how to replace him. We’ll find a solution-oriented option and play in a system that’s well-suited to the opposition.”

… Kaua Santos: “The match against Besiktas was a baptism of fire for him, and this is another step up. But he’s got some experience now, so I don’t need to talk to him much about it. He’s calm and focused.”

Ellyes Skhiri ... … Eintracht’s approach: “We’re raring to go and are looking forward to the game. We’re extremely motivated.”

… his role: “I’m not the kind of player to shout a lot but I’ve got experience. I want to help the team with my composure and communication. That’s an important part of our strategy.”

… the road to Bilbao: “Obviously we talk to each other about the dream [of reaching the final], and anything can happen from the quarter-finals onward. But first up we’re facing Tottenham and we’ll need to produce an incredible performance. We can dream but we have to prove ourselves against teams like this.”