Post-Match Report
Postgame Reactions: “A Well-Deserved Win Powered by Tremendous Grit”
Lars Ricken (in the mixed zone): “We’re coming off an extremely congested schedule. We couldn’t even really enjoy the game against Bayern — not even the fact that we put in a really good performance down there. In today's game, we get our there and log eight kilometers [roughly 5 miles] more than the opposition, then have to deal with them tying it at one-one, and still fight back against that adversity. It was obvious why Betis has won all its Champions League matches so far. They were truly a formidable opponent. That said, we earned a well-deserved win powered by sheer grit. And it's far from the first one.”
Ole Book (in the mixed zone): “Overall, we played a strong game — despite the fact we made a few mistakes. That was partly due to fatigue as well. The boys have had to deal with an immense workload. We were brave out there and showed that we want to play football. That’s a positive. We created chances and only allowed a few in our defensive third. I'm pleased with that.”
Niko Kovac (on DAZN): “We created some promising plays after finding Julian Ryerson out wide. Betis was very compact in its four-three-three formation. It was obivious to everyone that this isn't a team that accidentally stumbled into playing in the Champions League, but one that takes the field with very good, experienced players. This wasn’t exactly an easy task for us. In the second half, we played much better. We had to work hard, but the win is well-deserved and important for us. To finish in the top eight, we need seventeen or eighteen points. Now, we’ll see what happens when we go to London. Serhou Guirassy felt some discomfort in his thigh. We’ll see if it’s more than a strain, which I don’t think it is. We hope he’ll be back for the first game after the international break. Karetsas added attacking energy and worked well up top with Fabio Silva.”
Waldemar Anton (on DAZN): “Every Champions League match is difficult. It took us a little while to get into the game. That’s normal after these last few weeks. Still, we were alert when it mattered most. We just had to get through the first half. We had some bad luck with the injury to Serhou [Guirassy], who had to come off. In the second half, we were improved in our assertiveness and intensity in one-on-one duels. The referee didn’t call every foul during that phase. That can create a certain kind of game and really get the fans into it. Almost everything we tried worked out at that point. We put our opponent under pressure and scored two goals. The goal we conceded is on me. Kosta [Karetsas] made it two-one, which helped with not dwelling on that mistake.”
Konstantinos Karetsas (on DAZN): “I feel great and am so grateful for this moment. Today was a fantastic team effort. I’m very happy and couldn’t be more grateful. When I came on as a substitute, I had just come back from the restroom, meaning I didn’t get much in the way of instructions. I just tried to play my game. They gave me a lot of space, and I was able to enjoy that.”
Joey Veerman (in the mixed zone): “I’m really happy. We had the game under control for seventy minutes. It was a well-deserved victory and a big step for us. I’ve been in Dortmund for three months now. Today's atmosphere was just incredible again.”
Jobe Bellingham (in the mixed zone): “It was a tough game right from the start. We knew how good they are, so we were aware of the danger they posed, and they were really good with the ball. They have some very technically skilled players. We were able to keep up with them, and in the second half we just kept getting better and better. It feels like we swept them off the field with the help of the crowd. Attacking toward the Yellow Wall is a magical thing for us in the Champions League.”
Recorded by Boris Rupert