Reaction to the derby win

Max Kruse: “We fought hard, played well, and deserved to win. We took no time at all to get going in the game, even though we soon found ourselves 1-0 down. We continued to work hard and create a plethora of chances.” 

Zlatko Junuzovic: “We started off fantastically, but conceded the opening goal soon thereafter, which really was a tough blow to take. Unfortunately the ball just wouldn’t go into the back of the net after that for Grillitsch and for the free-kick. The rhythm of the game was a problem us because Hamburg tested us with a lot of long-balls over the top, but we always know that we would have more chances come our way, and we used them well.” 

Florian Kainz: “It was a special game, which makes it twice as good to have one today. It’s a wonderful feeling to have helped my team with the goal and give the fans the gift of a derby win. The victory meant a lot to the fans, us players, and the whole city. That’s why we wanted to win at all costs.” 

Maximilian Eggestein: “We were the better team from the start. Sure, there were phases during which we failed to create chances, but the win was deserved on the whole. The manager told us during the break that we needed to remain patient.” 

Fin Bartels: “Despite the early setback, we kept faith in ourselves and continued with the belief that what we’ve worked on in the last few weeks would pay off. We outplayed Hamburg today and showed the same quality we’ve shown in recent weeks.” 

Frank Baumann: “We started off really well, but unfortunately it was Hamburg who took the lead with their first chance. The fact that the opening goal didn’t de-rail us just goes to show how much confidence and belief this team has. There’s no question we deserved to win the game.” 

Alexander Nouri: “That was a totally deserved victory. We created a lot of chances in the first-half, but unfortunately we couldn’t capitalise on all of them. However, we remained patience and were rewarded for playing a good game with the three points. I’m happy for the team, who continue to play with passion.” 

Max Kruse: “It’s a fantastic feeling. I’ve already enjoyed a lot of great moments with this club since my return, and today was yet another excellent day. In the days leading up to it, it was obvious how the whole city was hyped for the derby. The banner we just celebrated made an appearance in our final training session before the big game. It shows how important the derby is to the fans and the city.” 

Zlatko Junuzovic: “The fans have every reason to celebrate. It’s wonderful that we’ve been able to give something back to them in recent weeks.” 

Frank Baumann: “A derby is always fascinating, even from the bench. I kept getting goose-bumps.”

Alexander Nouri: “There was a special tension in the air today. Both teams are fighting to stay up, which added fuel to the fire. It was great to see the fans on the way to the stadium. I’m really happy that the team were able to gift the fans a win.”