“Not a typical 4-0”

„Congratulations to HSV and Merlin on their deserved away win – even if it wasn’t a typical 4-0 defeat. We came into the game very well. Until the 1-0, we were the better team with the better chances. The goal conceded from a set piece changed the dynamics of the game in everyone’s minds. Nevertheless, we continued to dominate the game after that. HSV played very cleverly, though. We, on the other hand, didn’t want to just defend, even after going 2-0 down. We tried to get back into the game until the last moment. We didn’t handle the other two goals well; HSV did very well after the break today.“

„Thank you for the congratulations. Much of what we had planned and hoped for came true today. We knew that Darmstadt’s home game is characterised by the opening phase. They often managed to take an early lead. We overcame that phase and then gradually fought our way back. Today, it was less about perfect football. We wanted to compete and win one-on-one duels. We succeeded, and it gave us confidence. I’m very pleased that we were able to score two set-piece goals. Nevertheless, it was extremely challenging overall to defend the style of football Flo is playing here. But my team threw themselves into it – with everything they had. We defied all the odds. I’m very proud of the team and the staff.“

„Losing 4-0 is never a good thing. Nevertheless, it was a match on equal terms for a long time, and the opening phase even clearly belonged to us. The 1-0 after a corner hurt. Ultimately, games are decided in the penalty area. With the exception of the opening phase, we weren’t dangerous enough. We had a certain amount of control of the game, but didn’t create that many chances. HSV played well; the squad speaks for itself. It still wasn’t a classic 4-0 defeat, because we weren’t that inferior in terms of performance. We’re disappointed with the result, of course. But I saw a team with a lot of energy that also went into every challenge. It wasn’t due to a lack of desire.“

„We didn’t capitalise on our chances in the first 20 minutes. Then HSV took the lead, but unfortunately I couldn’t defend Reis in the penalty area. The 0-2 also came from a set piece, which we defended poorly. That’s obviously very frustrating. After the break, HSV counterattacked well, and that’s how we lost 4-0. We were highly motivated, and that was evident in the first 20 minutes and the entire first half. If there had been no excitement, we would never have had such a good start. You have to admit that HSV played a good game. Unfortunately, we didn’t really get our act together after the break. The defeat is well deserved.“