Post-Match Report
Postgame Quotes: “Fabio Threatened from His First Touch on the Ball"
Lars Ricken (in the mixed zone): “[Konstantinos Karetsas] felt lightheaded due to circulatory issues. There were no signs of it beforehand. He went to the hospital for further tests. It would be irresponsible to speculate at this point. Despite our concerns, we're excited about the win. It took a really big effort. It feels great to start the Champions League season this way. It was nice to see that the players who came on really stepped up their game. Nwaneri played well. Jobe [Bellingham] really owned the midfield again, and Fabio Silva made the difference in the end. I have to give props to the team because it’s not easy when you see a teammate being carried off the field on a stretcher and you don’t know what’s wrong with him exactly .”
Ole Book (in the mixed zone): “We had a lot of good moments in terms of our play and had the game under control. Around the time of the first goal we conceded, we lost our rhythm a bit, and Villarreal had a few chances at that point. We also can’t forget that this was last year’s third-place team from the Spanish league. Overall, we showed our class both defensively and offensively. All of us are noticing what a great job Fábio Silva has been doing up top. And everyone knows that Serhou Guirassy is one of the best strikers around.”
Gregor Kobel (on Prime): “It was a hard-fought victory. I don’t know if it was a grind-it-out win. We played good soccer at times today as well. But yes, it got a little tense again toward the end. It was a good game, and I think we deserved the three points. Fabio [Silva] is on fire. He brings great energy to the game. He was lively today, ran a lot, and threatened from his first touch on the ball. It’s fun playing with him. When he plays like this, he’s very, very dangerous.”
Serhou Guirassy (on Prime): “I’m very happy with the result. It was a crazy game and once again a very special atmosphere. Of course, I’m very grateful to Fábio for his great assist. We shouldn’t have conceded those goals. We still need to work on that. But in the end, we’re glad we won. That gives us confidence for the rest of the season.”
Daniel Svensson (in the mixed zone): “This win is very important. We have a total of eight games, and of course we want to win as many of them as possible. We know how strong our opponents are, so a win right off the bat feels especially good. We still need to find a way to control the game better so it doesn’t get so close at the end again.”
Recorded by Mats Roth and Boris Rupert
