Post-Match Report
Reactions: “A crucial win on the way to second place”
Lars Ricken (in the mixed zone): “It’s quite hard to find the words to describe the match when you didn't really have a single goalscoring chance for 90 minutes. We didn’t manage to bring the confidence to our play that would have allowed us to build up our attacks properly. I’m pleased that the substitutes made the difference. As difficult as the match was – and of course we can play better football – it was a crucial point on the way to finishing second. We want to finish second. And when you look at the bigger picture, we’re now 11 points clear of third and fourth in the table. That’s quite a remarkable achievement.”
Ole Book (in the mixed zone): “The result was exactly what we hoped for. We’ve all seen the league table and are very happy with it. We put in a better performance in the second half after the manager’s tactical adjustments and substitutions. That’s why we’re delighted with the win, which came from two very fine goals created through individual quality. That’s also part and parcel of being a good Bundesliga side.”
Niko Kovac (on Sky): “The match was characterised by the fact that neither team wanted to lose. We wanted to consolidate second place and Stuttgart wanted to pull ahead of the teams below them. As a result, it certainly wasn’t a thrilling spectacle today. It wasn’t easy in the first half. We weren’t getting stuck into the challenges. And if you can’t win challenges and don’t win second balls, then you don’t have possession either. When we did have it, we lost it straight away. In the second half, we defended much better and waited for our chance. Our last two moves then helped ensure it ended well for us.”
Nico Schlotterbeck (on Sky): “Stuttgart really pinned us back. In the 90th minute, we took the two chances we had and won with a bit of luck. It’s been like this all season because we play with the right mentality. We’ve kept another clean sheet and we did so in Stuttgart, where hardly any other teams have managed to get one.”
Gregor Kobel (on Sky): “In the first half, we weren’t good enough on the ball. The positive thing was that it was 0-0. But in the second half, it was a more evenly matched game. They (Stuttgart, ed.) had a lot of possession, but they didn’t really create any clear-cut chances either. And in the end, we had two brilliant chances in front of goal and scored two top-class goals. Throughout the season, our defensive performance is what has carried us, defined us and formed the foundation of the whole team. And those two goals at the end were great for us. We were buzzing about it. It’s obviously great when you win a game like that away from home in stoppage time…”
Recorded by Boris Rupert