Borussia Mönchengladbach must defy potentially difficult pitch conditions in order to win their rearranged German Cup quarter-final at third division Saarbrücken on Tuesday, coach Gerardo Seoane has said.
The match was originally scheduled for February 7 but cancelled shortly before kick-off due to a water-logged pitch. The quality of the Saarbrücken pitch, which has no drainage system, has frequently been discussed.
Saarbrücken made headlines by ousting Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous rounds but Seoane said on Monday that "we have the ambition to reach the next round" and that the pitch condition must be no factor for his players.
"We must adapt, regardless how the pitch is," Seoane said. "From what I have seen the pitch is playable. We will see on site in what kind of condition it is."
Seoane said they have taken notice of Saarbrücken's wins over Bayern and Frankfurt and "are warned," but he added that "we are focussing on our own performance."
Gladbach have somewhat disappointed in the Bundesliga where they are placed 12th but the Cup could offer a path towards silverware they have not earned since winning the competition for a third time in 1995.
The winner faces second-division Kaiserslautern in an April 2 semi-final. If Gladbach win the game will be in Kaiserslautern, but Saarbrücken will be hosts if they advance because all teams below the second division get automatic home field advantage.
The other semi-final on April 3 is between Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in all their 36 matches to date this season, and second division Fortuna Düsseldorf. The final is on May 25 in Berlin.