Hoffenheim's Akpoguma On Congested Fixture List, Europa League Clash Vs Gent

Published: October 27, 2020

Kevin Akpoguma has spoken about Hoffenheim's congested fixture list, with the German Bundesliga club playing seven games in the space of 22 days before he reports for international duty next month.

The former Germany U20 captain admitted that the games are played at a high intensity and the players must be in tip-top condition.

Capable of being deployed as a central defender and right wing-back, Akpoguma is a victim of his own versatility as he has gone the distance in all the matches played by Hoffenheim in the new season - seven in total.

"Over the coming weeks, the important thing will be to ensure we recover in the days between matches," Akpoguma said to Hoffenheim's official website.

"We need to get as close as possible to 100 percent so that there are not any muscle injuries.

"To date, we've been implementing our plan very well and we naturally hope that it continues like this."

Hoffenheim's next game in their jam-packed calendar is a trip to the GHELAMCO-arena, where they face Gent on matchday two in the Europa League on Thursday, October 29.

The one-cap Nigeria international says their Belgian opponents will be desperate to get their campaign back on track following their defeat to Slovan Liberec.

"Gent are obviously under pressure to get a result. I believe that their team will play on the front foot and try to play an attacking game. That will suit us.

"But we need to focus entirely on ourselves and ensure that we assert our style. If we go to the limits of our performance, I'm optimistic that we can beat every team in this group," Akpoguma added.

Akpoguma has three appearances under his belt for Hoffenheim in European competitions, two of them coming in the UEFA Champions League.

Igho Kingsley

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