Maaßen: "The red card changed the game"
Post-match reaction from the 1-1 draw against Schalke
First Team
18.03.2023, 19:22
FC Augsburg conceded in added time at home to FC Schalke 04 on Saturday afternoon as the matchday 25 clash ended 1-1. Ermedin Demirović’s red card in the 53rd minute was the turning point in the game. Here are the post-match quotes.
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw: “I think we would have won the game if both teams had ended with 11 men. It was a really intense match and we knew what to expect. Schalke are right in the middle of a relegation battle and we didn’t want them to drag us into it today. Both teams struggled to create chances and the red card, which was an accidental challenge, was decisive. A point is a point and we’ll take it. It’s kept a big gap between us and Schalke.”
Arne Maier: “Conceding the equaliser so late on is really frustrating, but it was a different game after the red card. It wasn’t Demi’s fault, I don’t think he saw the opponent. We had to cover more ground after that and sat very deep. Giving away a penalty in the 90th minute is really annoying. Schalke were pushing, but they didn’t look that dangerous. Every point matters for us and we’re still unbeaten at home in 2023.”
Arne Engels: “We started the game well and deserved to take the lead. I’m sure Demi didn’t mean to make that foul. We had to work really hard after that and defended well up until the penalty. We ultimately didn’t get the win, which is unfortunate. We will continue to put the work in. I’m excited to play for Belgium U21s next week and Mergim has definitely deserved his call-up to the Germany team.”
Enrico Maaßen: “We were the slightly better team in a really hard-fought game. The red card changed the match and after that we just had to look to defend. Our commitment meant that they only had that one chance through Simon Terodde. The timing of their penalty was really frustrating. My team fought so hard and gave their all. We still covered more ground than Schalke despite having one less man for 40 minutes and that shows the mentality of my team. Our point has maintained our seven-point lead over Schalke. It was a fair result.”
Thomas Reis: “It’s hard to say if we have gained a point or lost two today. The first half was really even, though my team really lacked conviction. We knew that we could come under pressure because of Augsburg’s man-marking. We started well in the second half, but invited them onto us for their goal. The red card helped us take control of the game, but we didn’t do well once we had that. I’m pleased that we never gave up and that we got the equaliser from the spot.
