Schmidt: “We’re not thinking about anything else other than ourselves”

In the race for Bundesliga survival, FC Augsburg travel to the Ruhr to take on fellow strugglers FC Schalke 04. Aware that a win in Gelsenkirchen would secure another season of Bundesliga football, head coach Martin Schmidt wants his side to secure the final points needed on Sunday (13:30 CEST). The Fuggerstädter have put last week’s 4-1 home defeat behind them and have turned their attentions towards Sunday’s clash against Schalke. Over the course of this week, Martin Schmidt’s side have had plenty of time to prepare for the match against the Royal Blues. “The defeat against Leverkusen was one which we could learn a lot from. After the match, the players were very self-critical and insightful. However, there were things we did well. In training this week, you could clearly see that the players are hungry for success this weekend. We want to carry this enthusiasm into the match against Schalke.” Give everything they have to secure safety Eager, highly motivated and stronger mental spirit. Augsburg want to carry these things into the match in the VELTINS-Arena. The Royal Blues secured three vital points in the Revierderby away against Borussia Dortmund while Stuttgart, currently in the relegation play-off position, secured a crucial win at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach. “Schalke’s win has given them a lot of self-confidence and the fans were delighted to win the derby. This certainly doesn’t make our task any easier on Sunday,” said the Swiss head coach. However, Schmidt is only focusing on his side’s preparations. “I’m not interested in the things I cannot influence. We need to have the right setup and formation in Schalke and we’re working hard on this. It really doesn’t matter how the other matches play out and how that alters our fortunes. We’re not thinking about anything else other than ourselves.” FCA want to secure Bundesliga safety against Schalke on Sunday without looking over their shoulders at how other teams fare. “It is all about the Schalke match and Bundesliga safety. We want to complete the final step on Sunday!”