The 4-2 win away to VfL Wolfsburg will forever remain in Marco Grüll’s memory for being the game in which he netted his first Bundesliga goal. He demonstrated the value of determination when he struck the ball with everything he had, making up for a chest control that was not quite perfect. “I was really happy. That first goal is always special,” said the Austrian with a smile. “I am obviously so pleased to have scored but the three points are overall more important.”
With just 12 seconds played, it already could have been Marco Grüll’s night. After being played in on goal with a header, the 26-year-old’s control of the ball in the penalty area was just lacking the necessary conviction. Despite the end result lacking, head coach Ole Werner was impressed by the fact that Grüll often got into those sorts of positions throughout the first half. “I know that, despite some room for Grülli to improve, it is a matter of time in those final third situations,” explained the coach regarding the faith he has in his number 17. “There is no need for anyone to get down because the job we did as a team was very good.”
Werner’s impression of his team changed after the break. The Green-Whites emerged from the locker room with newfound vigour, ready to put their stamp on the game. Following an eye-catching one-two with Marvin Ducksch, Grüll was once again face-to-face with VfL keeper Kamil Grabara. His shot was parried however teammate Felix Agu was on hand to turn home and put the team into the lead for the first time (51’). The summer signing however go on to cap off proceedings after more good work in the build-up from Ducksch. “I’m new in the team and still need to get familiar with how everything works,” said the five-time Austria international. “You could see that things were only getting better and we created lots of chances.”
The second-half performance of the right-footed forward certainly served as a good argument for him to start in the upcoming home match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. “The goal gave me a lot of confidence,” emphasised Grüll. “I’ll look to get rid of the simple mistakes and be better in one-on-one situations going forward. That’s how I aim to help the team.” His head coach is also very satisfied with the player’s development. “There are things that we can work on with every player,” coach Werner said after the game in Wolfsburg. “He showed today that he is moving in the right direction.”
