“We play football for moments like these”

There was nothing short of euphoria at the Weserstadion as SV Werder Bremen not only claimed a 3-1 victory in the Nordderby against Hamburger SV, but also picked up crucial points in the battle for survival. The sense of relief among the Green-Whites was palpable in the Mixed Zone. WERDER.DE rounded up the post-match reactions following the emphatic win.

Head coach Daniel Thioune: “It’s indescribable and a fantastic feeling. We showed on the pitch what we were missing in the first half of the season: the attitude and the energy to get the stadium behind us. Now we stay focused, take the positives from the game as well as the things we need to look at critically. We’ve got an extra day to recover now, and then our full focus shifts to Stuttgart, where we want to get something as well.”

Man of the Match Jens Stage: “That was an incredible team performance today. We kept a cool head and the whole team deserved the result. Derby wins are always special and we’re delighted we could give that to the fans. We play football for moments just like these, to celebrate in front of the Ostkurve as we did today.”

Goalkeeper Mio Backhaus: “It’s just pure emotion and pure adrenaline. Given our situation, it’s the most important game of the year for me. As a Bremen boy, you can’t allow HSV to win both derbies. I’m really pleased we made up for the reverse fixture. But that wasn’t the only thing that mattered – over the 90 minutes, a lot of other things also played their part in the result.”

Assist provider Romano Schmid: “We’re unbelievably relieved. I don’t know whether it’s the most enjoyable or the most exhausting way to celebrate a derby win. We know how important this derby is for the fans, and we also need points like these in the fight for survival. In the end, what matters is that the points stay here in Bremen. From my perspective, we controlled the game and I never felt like we could lose it. The win is hugely important, but we’re taking it week by week. The season isn’t over yet and we’ll stay focused in order to finish it on a positive note.”

Substitute Leonardo Bittencourt: “Derby wins are just brilliant. We gave absolutely everything today. We knew what it would take, and we showed that over the full 90 minutes. Today, I’m not interested in the table. We’re celebrating the derby win, and from Tuesday it’s back to work.”

Derby winner Amos Pieper: “Before a derby, you hear a lot about what it’s meant in the past – but experiencing it yourself is something else entirely. What the fans have done from yesterday’s training session through to the final whistle today has been incredible. It’s amazing to have them behind us despite how this season has gone. A derby win is something very special, but this still isn’t the moment to pat ourselves on the back. Hopefully we can do that in four weeks; until then, there’s still a lot of work ahead.”

Managing director for sport Clemens Fritz: “We knew there was a lot of pressure on this game. Huge credit to the team. It was a great team performance, full of energy. In the first half, we maybe lacked a bit of sharpness in certain situations, but after the break we were right there. I don’t think HSV had a real chance in the second half. Another massive compliment to the fans as well. They really drove us on.”