Thorup: “We showed them too much respect”
Match reaction to the defeat in Leverkusen
First Team
26.04.2025, 18:45
FC Augsburg travelled home from Leverkusen with nothing after a 2-0 defeat. Here is the match reaction.
Finn Dahmen: “Of course, it’s a very frustrating defeat today. We didn’t play well enough, particularly in the first half. The second half was better, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. We weren’t physical enough and too imprecise with the ball. If we’d have got a goal back, it might have been exciting at the end. But when you go behind in Leverkusen, it’s very difficult to come back. We now need to look ahead. We absolutely want to win against Kiel next week.”
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw: “We weren’t at the races in the first half. Of course Leverkusen have a lot of quality in their side, but the goals we conceded were avoidable and the crucial moments of the game. In the second half we were a lot better and created some chances, but we lacked efficiency in our finishing. We’ve now got three games left, in which we want to collect as many points as possible. If you want to climb up the table, you need to win games yourself. We want to do this against Kiel next week.”
Phillip Tietz: “We’re disappointed after the game, because we wanted more. In the first half we only had two shots on goal, but then the second half was better despite not scoring. If we made it 2-1, it would have been really interesting. Unfortunately, we weren’t efficient enough.”
Henri Koudossou: “I’m pleased with every minute I get on the pitch. I felt really good today and was pleased to get more playing time. My goal is to work my way back into the starting XI - that’s where I was before my injury. Bayer controlled the game today, particularly in the first half. Conceding a second just before the break was possibly the worst time possible at which to do so. On the whole, we didn’t do enough today to take anything from the game. Despite that, we’re still fighting for every point possible, and want to get as many as we can in the remaining three games.”
Mert Kömür: “I’m always trying to give my best - regardless of whether I play from the start or come off the bench. The coach explained to me before the game that we want to play more defensively against a side like Leverkusen who are good on the ball. We had a lot of room to improve after our first-half performance, and we were more in the game after the break. Unfortunately, we were unable to do anything with that momentum.”
Jess Thorup (FC Augsburg head coach): “I was not pleased with our first-half showing. We knew we had our work cut out for us against very difficult opposition, but we showed them too much respect on the pitch. We were very unfortunate to concede the second before the break. At half-time, we spoke about the need to be braver - we ultimately had nothing to lose. We did better in the second half and created some chances, but sadly we failed to score. The hosts deserved to win today.”
Xabi Alonso (Bayer 04 Leverkusen head coach): “We played better today than we have recently - more energy, more conviction and better-structured. It may not have been spectacular, but it was a professional showing. In the second half, we endured a phase in which we lost some of the control of the ball, but we remained defensively stable on the whole. I’m pleased with the performance and the good feeling we’re taking into the remaining games - that’s how we want to continue in the last three matches.”
