Backhaus, 21, has changed his appearance from blonde to his natural dark hair, calling it a "fighting hairstyle" to help the team collect more points in their fight against the drop. The Germany U21 No. 1 remains confident in Bremen's ability to avoid relegation despite their current table position.
The young goalkeeper acknowledges that competition from Hein, who filled in during back-to-back fixtures in late September, helped motivate him to return stronger. "Karl did well and also created a bit of pressure," Backhaus said. "I was able to use that as motivation to come back stronger. The competition helped me."