“An immensely important victory”

„It was a dream start for us. We then entered a phase of 15 or 20 minutes in which we were very dominant. We could have taken a bigger lead there. After that, there was a phase in which Hannover had more control. We had several chances to score, but we no longer had control of the game. Hannover did that very well. I’m very happy that the team showed resilience after the 1-1 draw. We’re delighted with the home win against a very well-organised team in a really tough game. Nevertheless, we still need that one win, which we ideally want to achieve next week in Münster.“

On supporting the fans:
„The bond between the team and the fans is very close. We played up front in the first 15 minutes today, so the spectators really enjoyed themselves. And conversely, they were there when we were struggling. It’s extremely important that we have this connection. The Bölle can release a lot of energy like that.“

„Congratulations to Darmstadt on the win. We wanted to go into the game and gain confidence, especially at the beginning. That was the goal, to get into the game well. Then, after 17 seconds, we played a free kick into the opponent’s feet and conceded the 0-1. That wasn’t part of the plan. It led to us playing terribly for ten to 15 minutes. The 0-1 was immediately followed by another catastrophic misplaced pass, which almost led to the 0-2. But we then faced the resistance and gained stability in the first half. We played good football, we just lacked penetration in the box. In the second half, we were at least on par, and our hard work was rewarded with the 1-1 draw. Why we then immediately fell back into the same pattern and lacked all our energy is beyond me. Darmstadt used the 2-1 lead to recharge their batteries. Otherwise, we probably even have the opportunity to completely turn the game around. So we didn’t come back. And we only take responsibility for that.“

„An immensely important victory. Nevertheless, there are still twelve points up for grabs, so we’re not through yet. In recent weeks, it’s been primarily about the result, and four home wins in a row sounds very reasonable. These are important steps for our team. We obviously got off to a great start today, but in the euphoria of the early stages, we perhaps overpaced and wasted too much energy. Hannover then got better and better. Later on, we defended a little deeper and did well. Hannover were a really good opponent, and the win was hard work. Fortunately, we had the right response to the equaliser.“

„It’s always a great feeling to win at home. Our overall performance was very good. We dominated parts of the game, but in other periods we also had to defend well as a team. I don’t think I’ve ever scored so early in a game. For a striker, this is obviously the perfect start to a game. Our pressing worked very well, which suits us. Overall, our trend is heading in the right direction; we still have a few games left in which we want to continue this trend.“