“Hard work and real commitment”

It was a huge win in the fight to stay up. SV Werder came through a crucial away game at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon, winning 1-0 through sheer determination. The sense of relief after the game was just as big. WERDER.DE gathered key post-match reactions from head coach Daniel Thioune, Marco Friedl and co.

Head coach Daniel Thioune: “It helped us that we attacked in behind more in the second half. Both teams lacked precision. It wasn’t a classic, but it was hard work and required huge commitment. When I look at how intensely we worked, it was a hard-earned win. We’ve got some big challenges ahead after the international break – the biggest is getting the squad back to full strength.”

Captain Marco Friedl: “It was hard work – just as you’d expect from a game between two sides down at the bottom. Wolfsburg gave their all and were very aggressive. They won a lot of second balls, which we didn’t manage to do. Mio made two or three outstanding saves and, like so often in games like this, one moment ended up proving decisive. I’ve got to pay the team a compliment for the way they then went and defended that lead until the final whistle.”

Match-winner Justin Njinmah: “I’m absolutely delighted with the win because we’re now seven points clear of Wolfsburg – that was our aim before the game. They had more to lose than we did. Maybe that played into our hands a little. It was clear we were always going to get chances and the fact I took one was hugely important for us as a team and for me personally.”

Leonardo Bittencourt: “We didn’t manage to beat a direct rival last week, so it feels even better to have won today. The character this team showed makes us proud. For the fans and for us players, a 1-0 win like that is always a bit nervy, but it also feels amazing too. In the end, you have to force the issue and want it more – and we did that. A win before the international break always feels good, and then we go again.”

Goalkeeper Mio Backhaus: “The first half was difficult because we didn’t really know what to expect. It was important to go in at the break at 0-0 – that was down to pure will, because everyone threw themselves into every challenge. That went a long way towards deciding the game. We were better on the ball in the second half too. It was a special game and a special win – and for a goalkeeper, keeping a clean sheet always feels great.”

Managing director for sport Clemens Fritz: “The win will do all of us good. We came through some tough moments and that was the key. When you look at how many lads were missing today, the team deserve huge credit for the way they worked and threw themselves into it. It was always clear this wasn’t going to be a pretty game to watch. We have to keep working hard and keep working with intensity. The international break comes at a good time for us, but there are still seven tough games to come. We can’t start feeling too safe now.”