Borussia Dortmund bounced back with a 4-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. Read what players and coaches had to say after the game.
.@Aubameyang7 im Interview (feat. Vorlagengeber @woodyinho). Alle Videos vom Spiel #bvbbmg jetzt auf https://t.co/Wpdviyhg70. pic.twitter.com/rCFOMz7bhs
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) December 3, 2016
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: “My first goal was extremely important. I’m not exactly sure how we fell behind prior to that. But it meant it was important to hit back straight away. After that we played our game and deserved to win. So, of course we are very happy today.”
Nuri Sahin: “I took a knock to my knee relatively early in the match. It was after around ten minutes or so. Initially I thought that I’d be able to run it off. But it got worse with every passing minute. The goal we conceded was down to a lapse in concentration, but otherwise we had the match completely under control. So we deserved to win. I told the lads in the pre-match huddle that we can’t afford any more slip-ups. None of us can take our foot off the gas before the winter break. Today was the first step.”
Andre Schubert: “If we play our best, then we can get something from the game – even in Dortmund. I’m convinced of that. Today we weren’t in the position to do that. BVB played very well. Failing to win a series of matches like we have doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, that’s for sure.”
Thomas Tuchel: “We gave a complete performance. It is difficult to defend against Gladbach aggressively. Therefore, we needed to play fluently in offensive areas of the pitch. Our three strikers achieved that spectacularly upfront today. The other seven players had to remain incredibly compact. We were able to maintain the required level of aggression and compactness over the full 90 minutes. It was a well-earned victory – a complete performance in all areas of our game.
“When we decided who would be captain, it was still uncertain when and how Marco would come back. We did not want to encumber his recovery process with the extra concern of who should take the role of captain. As such, it was clear that Schmelle would be installed in office. Now Marco is back and it is fantastic how he has returned and the intensity with which he trained to get himself back. It is not an issue between the players. We might discuss it again, but not until the winter break.
“I think Ousmane Dembele played one of his best games for us today. He dealt with our possession with care in situations where a dribble would have been inappropriate against a very compact opponent. He was very aware and diligent today, he helped to defend in every minute of the game and he made the difference in those situations in which he is supposed to. It was a big step for him, a great performance.
“I already said ahead of the game that he has to handle a lot of responsibility — maybe too much responsibility, especially in the frequency he had to play for the full 90 minutes and sometimes every three days, including Champions League matches. If you consider that Marco Reus started his first match in the Bundesliga, then you can see the weight of expectations the boy has had to carry thus far.”
“[Nuri Sahin] had a Knee problem. He was very angry that he had to come off so early. Previously there have been many harsh decisions that have gone against him and few opportunities for him to play. He has journeyed through his own valley of tears recently. We have had the feeling for two or three weeks that he has come through it.
“We do not know if we trained well because I [uttered critcism after the Frankfurt loss] or in spite of my saying that. We can stomach praise very well too, everybody together. Therefore, I think it is only right that we withstand some criticism. When criticism is due, I also get angry with myself and include myself in the process. The whole thing was a lot smaller internally than it appeared from the outside.”
(Source: BVB.de, ESPN FC)
