BVB captain Marcel Schmelzer was in a playful mood as he spoke to BVBtotal! following the victory over Lotte in Osnabrück. The defender had two reasons to be happy: the performance of the team in their DFB Cup quarter-final, and the fact that he had scored his first goal in the competition for almost 4 ½ years. 

Schmelle, many congratulations! Lotte made things really difficult for you, particularly in the first half, didn't they?
"That's true, particularly in the opening stages of the first half. But that's exactly what we expected. We had to hold firm. It was a real test for the team and it was not easy, both in terms of physical exertion or mental effort, to win such a horrible Cup tie. But in the end you have to compliment the team for what was a really successful performance."

Was it clear that you'd have the game under control once you'd scored the first goal?
"What was important was not going behind and then somehow getting the opener, because the pitch wasn't getting any better. Then, by the time we'd scored the second goal at the latest, it was clear to everyone that we'd win the match."

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Marcel Schmelzer makes it 3-0 from this free-kick.

Then you rounded off victory with the third. That's the real story of the day, isn't it?
(laughs) "Somehow I didn't have any time to celebrate, that's really annoying. No, but seriously, I'm really happy about scoring again after such a long time. I should make a mental note of the date for the next time there's a quiz at the training camp."

Well let's give you a quiz question now: Do you know when the last time you scored in the Cup was?
"I think that was the Second Round in Aalen, wasn't it? It was the second goal, after Mats (Hummels) had scored the first..." (djg)