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“We have to do everything we can to get a result”
JENS STAGE INTERVIEW AHEAD OF THE AWAY GAME AT TSG HOFFENHEIM
07/05/26 | 5 Min
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Jens Stage and SV Werder need one more point to guarantee Bundesliga survival in the 2025/26 season. The Green-Whites will have the chance to do exactly that this Saturday, 9th May 2026 at 15:30 CEST, away at TSG Hoffenheim. Speaking to WERDER.DE, vice-captain Stage explains why it is so important to pick up the point they need themselves, how Werder can go about doing that and why he has fond memories of the team’s last trip to Sinsheim.
WERDER.DE: Moin Jens, you’ve been a bit under the weather over the last few days. How are you feeling?
Jens Stage: I’m feeling better, I’m fit again and I was back out on the pitch today.
WERDER.DE: Glad to hear it! You’re away at TSG Hoffenheim this weekend. When you think of Hoffenheim, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Jens Stage: I think I know what you’re getting at with that question. Obviously, I think back to our last away game in Hoffenheim. That was brilliant.
WERDER.DE: That’s exactly what we were getting at! Was last season’s 4-3 away win, in which you scored a hat-trick, one of your best games?
Jens Stage: Yes! I think when you score three goals, it has to be one of your best games – unless you’re the best player in the world (laughs). It was incredible for me. It was the first time I’d scored three in one game and, who knows, maybe it’ll be the last as well.
WERDER.DE: We certainly wouldn’t mind you repeating that hat-trick. You’ve shown time and again that you carry a goal threat. But how special is that feeling when you score three in one game and you can sense that everything is coming off for you that day?
Jens Stage: I think so much in football comes down to confidence – both as a team and as an individual player. When you’ve got a lot of confidence, you always play better football. You’re more clinical in front of goal too. Once you get one, the next goals often come quickly for a lot of players. You score several in a short space of time, then maybe go a few games without one again. That’s completely normal to me. It always starts with confidence.
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WERDER.DE: Looking back briefly, how have you dealt with the 3-1 defeat to Augsburg?
Jens Stage: I wasn’t in at the start of the week because I was ill. But I can say that I thought a lot about the game and about how we can do better next weekend. I’m sure the lads have worked well and that the Augsburg game was only in our heads for a short time, maybe on Sunday and Monday. Yes, we had a poor game, but we have to move on and pick up points again on Saturday.
WERDER.DE: Your teammates said afterwards that you only had yourselves to blame, as the required intensity wasn’t there – especially in the first half. How do you see it?
Jens Stage: In football, when you lose, you usually only have yourselves to blame. We weren’t good enough. Everyone knows that. No game is ever perfect, and that one was definitely nowhere near it, but we have to move on. We’ve still got chances to pick up points and put in a good performance. That’s the focus now.
We need to show our team spirit, stick together, work hard and be strong in the duels.
Jens Stage
WERDER.DE: Speaking of points, you can make Bundesliga survival mathematically certain on Saturday. How important would it be to get over the line yourselves by picking up at least a point?
Jens Stage: That’s important. We can’t be looking at what the other teams are doing – we can only focus on our own game. We’re up against a good side now, but we won at Hoffenheim last season too. We have to do everything we can to get a result there. To do that, we need to go into the game with real intensity and with the confidence we had in the matches before Augsburg. Then we’ll get the points we need ourselves.
WERDER.DE: Hoffenheim are still fighting for a Champions League place. What are you expecting from them and where do their strengths lie?
Jens Stage: They’re a really good side – the table alone tells you that. There are no easy games in the Bundesliga, but this one will be really tough because they play with a lot of energy and have real pace. You can see they’ve got confidence. We need to show that same energy from the very first second. The basics have to be there, things like winning our duels and putting the work in. But we also know how well we can play when we do that.
WERDER.DE: As you say, the stats show that Hoffenheim cover more ground than any other team in the league and play at a high intensity. How do you approach a game against a side like that?
Jens Stage: Of course, we have to change a lot from the Augsburg game. We need to show our team spirit, stick together, work hard and be strong in the duels. On the ball, we have to find moments where we can keep possession for longer spells and really build pressure. It’s about getting the balance right, and that’s what we have to find. They’ll put us under a lot of pressure, so we have to be ready for that.
WERDER.DE: You already showed in Stuttgart that you can compete with teams of that calibre. Does that performance give you belief that you can get something at Hoffenheim too?
Jens Stage: I think on our good days, we can pick up points against anyone. We showed that in Stuttgart with a really strong performance. We need to produce that kind of display again, and that has to be the clear aim. I think we’re all ready for it.
WERDER.DE: Good luck in Hoffenheim. Thanks for your time, Jens!
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