Florian Kainz: “It was a relegation battle. It wasn’t oozing quality, but it was a hard-fought game, which we deservedly won. We didn’t let them past us in the first half, we created more chances and deservedly took the lead. After they equalised, we went looking for more. However, we struggled for a long time against Köln as they tightened up. We didn’t manage to get into the final third very often, that only improved in the second half. It wasn’t our best game.”
Maximilian Eggestein: “Köln kept it very tight at the back and we couldn’t find space. We found more room in the first half, but their equaliser didn’t play into our hands. The space vanished again after that. Köln definitely have a lot more quality than their position in the table would suggest. They made our lives extremely difficult.”
Max Kruse: “It was vital that we answered directly after their equaliser. The goal came at exactly the right time for us.”
Miloš Veljković: “Köln made our lives very difficult. Things didn’t always go according to plan in the first half. We wanted to disturb their rhythm early on and defend aggressively. Things went slightly better for us after the first goal. I’m relieved and happy for the whole team. The game was very important and it was great players who don’t normally score managed to find the back of the net, but all goals are important for the team."
Florian Kohfeldt: “I thought we played very maturely in the first half. We were patient, we waited for our moments, which is why I was satisfied with our first-half performance overall. Throughout the game, there were two or three moments which could have completely turned it around. Milot could have ended the game before the break. Köln made big problems for us after the change of ends. Effzeh are a very well-organised team, so my team deserve kudos.”
Frank Baumann: “It was a really tough match today, but we won deservedly in the end. Köln were difficult opponents, so I’m really pleased that we picked up another win at home.”