Post-match reaction to the win against Schalke

Maximilian Eggestein: “We made it harder for ourselves today than in previous matches. We had more possession in the first half but we weren’t very purposeful with it. That was obviously also down to the great Schalke defence. We were lucky at the start of the second half that Schalke didn’t make the most of the space that we gave them. Perhaps based on the performance, Schalke deserved the result a bit more than us but we had luck on our side today. That hasn’t been the case recently.”

Theodor Gebre Selassie: “It wasn’t easy today. I think that we had some good passages of play but it wasn’t one of our best performances. After the equaliser and how we’d played, I really believed that we would be able to go on and get a winner. And it’s that much better that we actually got the winner.

Max Kruse: “After the break and after the equaliser were two mad phases of the game. We conceded lots of chances in those phases but we were compact over the course of the game. The second yellow card was definitely a turning point especially with the equaliser coming straight after it. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter to me the manner in which we’ve won it. The only thing that matters is that we won.”

Florian Kohfeldt: “I’m not 100% happy with the performance today and neither are the boys. Despite that, I think we were better in the first half than it looked from an outsider’s point of view. We kept Schalke at arm’s length and had more possession. The problem was that Schalke were really concentrated in defence and we couldn’t get in behind them. The first twenty minutes of the second 45 weren’t good. We wanted to defend higher up the pitch but we couldn’t really do that and we were lucky that Schalke didn’t kill off the game at that point. Despite that, I believed that we could turn it around because Schalke gave us a bit more space. After the equaliser I was a bit torn because we always want to win but I didn’t want us to lose our shape. The closing stages were crazy but I let the boys play their game. You can, as a player, be affected by the dynamic of a game but it ended really well for us.”

Maximilian Eggestein: “You could tell that the chemistry with the rest of the team probably wasn’t there but that is understandable considering he has trained twice with us. So that is completely normal. Despite that you can see the sort of quality that he brings. For that reason I am excited to see what the next few weeks bring for him.”

Milot Rashica: “It was obviously a really special game for me. I am so happy to make my Bundesliga debut but I am even happier about the win. The game was something else and like nothing I’ve experience before. The tempo was higher, the atmosphere was unbelievable. Our fans were amazing – even though it was an away game. That was impressive. Of course I still need to get used to the way we play and our tactics but I gave it my all today.”

Max Kruse: “Milot has been with us for three days. It is clear that he is not going to have taken everything in after two sessions. But I think he showed us today how helpful he will be for the team.”

Florian Kohfeldt: “He showed us three or four times today how good he is. He fought hard and brought something extra to our game so I am really happy with his performance. I had planned to bring him off relatively early in the second half before the game.”