It was an exciting affair at the end of the game, but when the final whistle blew, the three points were to stay at the wohninvest WESERSTADION. Werder beat Schalke 2-1 for their second home win on the trot. “The fact that we ending up winning 2-1 was incredibly important. We have to continue in this vein,” said Ilia Gruev, looking ahead to the upcoming games against Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
Werder.de has summarised the post-match interviews of Ole Werner, Marco Friedl, Leo Bittencourt, Ilia Gruev, Mitchell Weiser and Niclas Füllkrug.
Marco Friedl: “We had some big problems at the start of the game and were lucky not to fall behind. Then we found our step. In the second half, Schalke were on the same level as us. That’s why I would argue that it was a hard-fought victory today. It speaks volumes about this side that we were able to see through the three points, even though we didn’t play our best game.”
Leo Bittencourt: “It was a game for number eights, where you have to organise the game and run a lot. Respect to Schalke, they put in a really disciplined display. It was a fighting performance from the boys today. The first goal was amazing with some unreal work from Mitchell. Apart from that goal, however, it was a game of few highlights. Schalke did a good job of closing down the spaces that we usually are good at exploiting. At the end of the day, we still won and that’s what counts.”
Niclas Füllkrug: “They marked us very well off the ball and so Schalke always had to step up. It was difficult then for them to cover the free spaces and we used them really well at times, especially in the first half. It was a bit more chaotic and wild in the second half. Schalke definitely changed some things for the second half. All in all, it was a deserved win because we should have been even further ahead in the first half.”
Ilia Gruev: “We weren’t there in the first 20 minutes. Schalke were the better side and we were lucky that the deflected goal didn’t count. But then we grew into the game. The fact that we ended up winning 2-1 was incredibly important. We have to continue like this.”
Mitchell Weiser: “Schalke played well today. It was challenging for us and we found it hard to find solutions around their style. Once again though, we took our chances. I’m happy to have won.”
Niclas Füllkrug: “It’s nice to have those points under our belt and it takes a bit of pressure off heading into the next couple of games. But we evaluate each game uniquely – that’s something the head coach emphasises again and again. We want to, and can, take something from every game, and that’s how we will continue to play this season. Every game is taken as a one-off and we try to get the most out of the game every single time.”
Ilia Gruev: “It’s a great feeling and shows the hard work we’ve been putting in. We’re happy with the situation we’re in. It’s not a given to have this many points in the league as a promoted side and the fans appreciate that. There is such unity around the club, around the team, but also amongst the fans. We have to keep going in the same vein.”
Marco Friedl: “Our goal is to secure our survival in the league as quickly as possible. It does us well to take it week by week. We don’t have much time now until the next game and it’s about recharging our batteries as quickly as possible so that we can go all guns blazing again on Tuesday. But of course, we didn’t just get the points by chance; it’s been down to our good performances over the season. We have to keep working hard to maintain this run. It’s simply a lot of fun to win games and that’s why we should carry on doing so.”
Ole Werner: “As a short-term appraisal, it’s incredible what the boys have achieved so far. I have to compliment them on that. However, 21 points won’t be enough to stay in the league. That’s why, on the other side of the coin, we shouldn’t let that confidence, that we undoubtedly deserve to have, get out of hand. Just because we have shown up in the first third of the season doesn’t mean that we will keep it up. We have to continue to get better. Games like today show how close everything is. These sort of games, just like today, can go completely the other way with some more luck for Schalke and if we are a bit less efficient in front of goal. That’s why it’s a nice short time position to be in, but 21 points is not our target for the season. We have to keep working.”
Ilia Gruev: “We’ve got a lot of confidence. We’ve started the double-game week with three points, and now we have two tough games ahead of us. But we want compete with the best. We will definitely need to put in a better performance against Bayern Munich than we did today.”
Marco Friedl: “For the most part, we only look at ourselves. We know that Bayern are incredibly strong, especially at home. But the team and I are really excited about this game. We’re excited and, for me especially, I’m excited to go up against my former club. If we give everything we’ve got, we can get something from the game.”
Ole Werner: “I look forward to every game and every new stadium I get to visit. We’ll prepare well and then we will play football. We will have to put in our best performance, and then we shall see if that’s enough.”
