“We didn’t have enough clear chances.”

„Congratulations to Miron and Schalke on a well-deserved home win. The first half was evenly matched. We had a few breakthroughs on the left, but we weren’t able to capitalise on them. Schalke, on the other hand, had two very good chances in the first half, one of which they converted. They also had a lot of verticality overall. After the break, Schalke were clearly better in the first 20 to 25 minutes. A 2-0 lead was in the air, even though they didn’t have a clear chance. With our substitutions – the lads put in a lot of energy again – we regained control without being able to create any clear chances. That’s why we have to go home with a defeat today. But we’ll see each other again on Wednesday and want to get a different result at home at Bölle.“

„It was a good and strong performance from us. The first half was initially well-balanced. Darmstadt played well, even though their top striker was missing. That was obviously an advantage for us. Overall, we should have put more pressure on Darmstadt’s diagonal balls. In my opinion, we conceded them two or three times too easily. Darmstadt has a really good defensive structure. But we scored a really cool goal. We started well in the second half and simply have to reward ourselves. Darmstadt didn’t have their first shot on goal until the 75th minute, then went all-in. But we defended everything and didn’t allow any more really big chances. Now we need to take a breather and concentrate our energy for Wednesday evening.“

„It was a very even game that could have tipped either way. I had the impression that we had a lot of space with the ball and some good chances. But Schalke are very intense off the ball. You don’t have much time. With a bit more composure on the ball, we could have played a few things better. Schalke scored the goal in the first half and then defended well. We, on the other hand, need to stay calmer overall, because there was a lot of space we could have exploited. If we can do that, we can score against any team. Isac is, in my opinion, the best striker in the league. We’ve certainly missed him. But our squad is good enough. Anyone who plays can score a goal.“

…on the cup match next Wednesday:

„All I can say is that we’re looking forward to Wednesday. We’re playing at the Bölle, and it’s going to be a tough one. I’m already getting goosebumps. Especially at evening games, it’s very special with our fans. We definitely want to advance to the next round.“

„We didn’t have enough clear chances, but Schalke defended well. They also attacked well in the closing stages, preventing us from playing long balls from the flanks. They defended very high with their back line. That obviously carries risks, but when the offside trap works, then they played well. We tried hard at the back, but the opening phase was particularly decisive. There were two teams on the pitch that are very strong defensively. Sometimes it’s like this: whoever scores first wins the game. That was unfortunately the case. We gave it our all and gave it our all.

It wasn’t just because Isac was missing. I think Bartosz did very well. He played alone against three defenders who were defending very aggressively. He started the game after a long time, so compliments to him. We don’t need to talk about the fact that Isac has great quality. But his absence is no excuse for us. Schalke is in euphoria at the moment. The way they play football, With a lot of physicality and a lot of intensity, coupled with the atmosphere here, it fits together very well.“

…on Wednesday’s cup match:

„I hope the crowd is fired up on Wednesday. There’s no way around it. I hope people come to the Bölle and tear it apart – because that’s what we need. These are close-quarters games and they’re extremely fun, so we’re looking forward to Wednesday. We’re playing at home, which is a completely different game.“