No goals and no victory once again. Even though SV Werder took a point after a goalless draw away at Köln, the bottom-placed team, they could not find the goal which would’ve given them that all-important pressure-relieving win. At the end of the game, the players weren’t satisfied with the result but after the flurry of chances in the last ten minutes, they at least prevented the loss, which would’ve been much more damaging.
WERDER.DE sums up the post-match reaction from the away game at 1. FC Köln.
Maximilian Eggestein: “The pressure was really high and we didn’t get into the game very well. Of course we had to adapt to our change in formation but we got to grips with it more and more as the game went on. The last twenty minutes was such an open game and one that both sides wanted to win desperately. We were lucky but we also had enough chances to win it. You could see that both teams are lacking that cutting edge at the moment. We are disappointed that we didn’t do enough to get the win today.”
Zlatko Junuzovic: “Both teams were anxious to not concede in the first half. It wasn’t a very pretty half with lots of fouls and long balls. The second half was more entertaining for the neutral, an end-to-end open game. We should’ve finished our chances. You could see that we were lacking that clinical finish, we couldn’t get the ball over the line.”
Max Kruse: “That’s what happens when you are low down in the table and not on form. Both teams just couldn’t score. We’re frustrated that we didn’t make the most of our chances once again.”
Florian Kainz: “We are obviously disappointed since we wanted to win. We had some good periods of play and created some good chances. A chance like Thomas’ at the end, that’s the sort of chance that goes in if you are in better form and higher up the table. You have to say that Köln also had a few good chances to win it so we didn’t deserve to win it any more than they did.”
Frank Baumann: “Both teams had periods where they didn’t play particularly well. We gave the ball away too easily in midfield and let Köln have too many shots on goal. It wasn’t a pretty game of football.”
Alexander Nouri: “I think that we started the game well. We lacked the fluency in our play which stems from our current situation. There were misplaced passes and lots of fouls. It was the game that most people would’ve expected. A game with lots of passion and willpower. We gave it our all for each other for the whole game and created some good opportunities. It is frustrating that we didn’t make the most of them and on a good day, Thomas’ header would’ve gone in.”
Zlatko Junuzovic: “The draw is fair but the point doesn’t help either side. We need to get our self-confidence back and continue to put in the performances.”
Max Kruse: “Obviously the self-confidence isn’t going to be sky-high after nine winless matches and people will criticise us but we are not going to let that get to us. We are professional footballers. People can talk all they want but at the end of the day, we all just need to put in the performances.”
Florian Kainz: “We aren’t happy, we wanted to win. We made some changes beforehand. We played with a different system and put a lot into the game. We’ll have to deal with the point but it is crucial that everybody continues to believe in themselves. The belief will pay off eventually.”
Alexander Nouri: “We are not satisfied with the point because we need to get that feeling of winning back. The goal was clear, to get three points here. The chances were there. But we can take something positive from the game. Our morale was really high for the whole game today and we need to continue that.”
Frank Baumann: “You can only get out of the relegation zone with wins so it wasn’t really enough for either side today. We have five draws from nine games but not enough points. It’s not good enough. We can’t lose our nerve but the situation isn’t great. In order to keep pace with the others, we need to get a win in the league soon.”
Max Kruse: “I worked really hard so that I could be back as quickly as possible. I wanted to get back playing again. I had to adapt quickly today after coming on and I didn’t get into the game that much but I was really happy to be back on the pitch.”
Florian Kainz: “It is really good for us that he’s back. Max has a lot of quality that will help us in this situation.”
Frank Baumann: “We had lots of discussions about it this week. We wanted to avoid the risk of him being out for longer because that would be really bad for us. But we also saw the chance today for him to play for a few minutes and help the team. We decided that he’d travel with the team, train on Friday and Saturday and we’d then assess the situation before the match. Max is really driven, he wanted to play and be there with the team. He said that but we had to make a sensible decision.”
Alexander Nouri: “Max is really important for us. We discussed him coming on with him and the medical team and we are really happy that he’s back.”
Frank Baumann: “Hoffenheim are really strong and they are more confident than the Köln side we faced today. The game will be a big challenge but we will be up for the task.”
Zlatko Junuzovic: “Our focus is on the Bundesliga where we urgently need a win. Despite this, we can get that feeling of winning back with success in the cup. It is good that the game is so soon after this one.”
Alexander Nouri: “It is important that we continue to work hard and keep our positive mindset. We have to continue in our way forward for the Hoffenheim match and continue to fight. It’s about starting to win matches again.”
Florian Kainz: “That’s the good thing about football. We get to go again in three days. We will have a look at what we did well. We will also look at the chances we didn’t take and try to win at home.”
