Monschein: English weeks are always the goal

With two games a week (Tuesday & Saturday), ten games in 33 days are waiting for the players & coaches. For striker Christoph Monschein, this is almost an ideal situation. ‘My personal goal is always to play internationally - then you have two games almost every week. We work towards this all year. I'm looking forward to the fact that we can play many games in a row.’

The rehearsal for the first of ten rounds of the final round (Tuesday, 8:30pm, against Admira) was successful in terms of organization and sport with a 1-0 victory over Hartberg:

‘First of all, it is important that we won the game and didn’t get a goal, that gives us the confidence we need,’ emphasizes Monschein, who played up front in the first half and felt physically ready. ‘You can tell that we haven't played a real game in eleven or twelve weeks, but I feel very good.’

The understanding on the pitch with the team-mates did not suffer from the long free time: ‘I think you don't forget that so fast. I've known many of my teammates for a very long time – our understanding was already back in the first week of training,’ says the 27-year-old, who didn't score against Hartberg but had some good chances (see highlights) and felt good.

Preparation with variables & focus on the game

The only test game is being followed by an analysis before the Bundesliga start. ‘We have to make sure that we change things that haven't worked well against Hartberg by Tuesday,’ emphasizes the striker.

Preparations for the first game of the Bundesliga final against Admira are in full swing in “Favoriten”, although more variables than usual are popping up: ‘We are watching videos of their last games, of course, but we don't know exactly what Admira is like and which ideas they had during the corona break. It is all the more important that we concentrate 100 percent on ourselves and follow our match plan.’

Cheers & atmosphere in times of corona restrictions

The joy of continuing the season is huge for Monschein & Co., although a significant part of the sport is missing - the fans: ‘Everyone is looking forward to playing again, but on the other hand we know that we will be missing the atmosphere because they usually motivate us even more. But I am sure we can deal with it during the 90 minutes.’

With 15 goals and five assists in the first 22 Bundesliga rounds, Christoph Monschein is in the middle of the best season of his career so far. The goal getter is not yet concerned about the goal celebration, which can only happen to a limited extent due to the Coronavirus:

‘For me, a goal celebration always arises from emotion, from the moment. But I will certainly remember that we should avoid contact with the other players when cheering.’