Maaßen: “The stadium was bouncing today!”
Reaction to win over Union Berlin
First Team
06.05.2023, 19:11
A 1-0 win over 1. FC Union Berlin meant FC Augsburg moved onto 34 points for the season. The joy was clear to see after full time, even though all eyes are now on the upcoming game in Bochum. Here is all the post-match reaction.
Dion Beljo: “It feels fantastic right now, I’m delighted with the win. Union are a great side, they’re not far off the top and we were well aware of that. We held our own against them from the start and carried out our game plan. I didn’t get onto a cross in the first half, but I knew we would keep bringing the ball forward, and I was in the right place at the right time for the goal! We aren’t safe yet, but we’re travelling to Bochum with a spring in our step.”
Tomáš Koubek: “This win is just so crucial. We showed a huge amount of will and passion today, so the win is well-earned too. We created chances in the second half and blocked a lot of shots. We wanted to be more active than in recent games after taking the lead, and we managed to do that. Next up is a six-pointer in Bochum, which we are hungry to win.”
Elvis Rexhbecaj: “This was an enormously important game and a win through sheer willpower, and the fans played a huge part in that. Especially after we took the lead, with legs starting to hurt and the mental strength wearing down, our fans pushed us forward. We now have a six point gap to the bottom three, which is a good feeling, but we know we have to keep earning points. We want to finish the job in Bochum.”
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw: “Any game against Union means fighting and surviving. We did that impressively today. We created the situation where we had to earn points, but we coped with that pressure very well. The Bochum game means everything now, and we will need as strong a performance there as we did today.”
Enrico Maaßen: “I am delighted and so proud of my team for winning this tough game today. We were able to finally stop the winless run and earn three points today, with a bit of luck on our side. The way we played means the win is also well-earned; we started well, scored a beautiful goal and defended the set pieces superbly. It was a crucial three points and we’ve improved our league position, but nothing more than that. I’m most delighted for the fans; the stadium was bouncing today. We have a tough game in Bochum coming up which is do-or-die. We know what to expect and we want to build on this win.”
Union head coach Urs Fischer: “When a team wins, they usually earn it – today’s game was an unnecessary and annoying defeat for us. My team played fantastically in the first half, but conceded just after the break by being asleep and letting things get past them too easily. The team was a bit insecure after that, and we only got them back under pressure in the final 20 minutes. If you don’t score a goal and don’t adapt, you will lose a game – that’s frustrating, of course.”
