SV Werder Bremen have reached the round of 16 in the DFB-Pokal for the first time since 2020. Despite facing intense pressure during the closing stages of the match, the Green-Whites held on to record a narrow 1-0 win thanks to Marvin Ducksch's winning strike. WERDER.DE have summed up all the reaction from within the team.
Head coach Ole Werner: "We knew it would be a close game. Overall, it was a very evenly-match affair and in the end, we were the ones to take our chances. We knew it wouldn't be a nice game as soon as we stepped onto the pitch for the first time. It was a hard-fought game and we had to go back to the basics to come out on top. It wasn't about fancy tricks or intricate play, but about wanting it more, remaining compact, winning your duels and running hard. That's exactly what the team displayed tonight."
Managing director for sport Clemens Fritz: "As expected, it was a tough game. Paderborn did well to close any gaps and made it hard to control the centre of the pitch. We weren't able to get where we wanted to go. The Pokal is known for making its own rules, but we were able to withstand. We're happy to have advanced to the next round and are focused on what's next."
Marvin Ducksch: "We were up against a strong opponent, who played well. But, if you're able to keep things tight at the back and set accents of your own in attack, then it's a performance you can be proud of. We left it all out there on the pitch, even if it wasn't our best performance. We had the right spirit and desire t fight hard, and can therefore be satisfied."
Victory on Ole Werner's 100th game in charge ????
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) October 30, 2024
Had to take a moment to thank our matchwinner ????#werder#scpsvwpic.twitter.com/Evdmj27ORp
Leonardo Bittencourt: "It definitely wasn't our best performance ever, but the win was deserved. Based on the chances we had, we could have put the game to bed and avoided making it so nervy at the end. In this competition, it's all about making it to the next round, no matter how you get there. We know what we need to do and have accepted this. Paderborn are a very good team that have consistently been a strong performer in the second division for years now. They really pushed us hard and we're happy to have reached the next round."
Michael Zetterer: "We only have ourselves to blame for letting things get so nervy at the end. We had one, two chances which we should have looked to finish off better. That would have helped us to put the game to bed earlier. We have the experience of coming here in the Pokal and having things take a different turn. It was a solid performance that allowed us to see the result through. Keeping a clean sheet is also always nice."
