Kovac: “A half-time break helps some teams, others less so” | OneFootball

Niko Kovac on the match:“We didn’t get into the game in the first 20 to 25 minutes of the first half. We weren’t present, VfB dominated during that period. After the penalty, everything turned in our favour. We then controlled the game and had lots of good opportunities in transition. We had some very good sequences, especially when we shifted the play, and we deservedly scored the second goal. With a bit of luck, we could have scored a third just before half-time. And then half-time is always like that: it helps some teams, but less so others. In this case, it didn’t help us. We weren’t at it. From the 60th minute onwards, it was a very interesting game for the spectators. But of course we’re disappointed with the result. When you score to make it 3-2 in the 89th minute, you want to win the game.”

... on his team’s attacking play:“I think we played much more accurately and precisely today. We moved the ball around much better than in recent games. But of course there is still room for improvement. We scored three goals today, Karim (Adeyemi, ed.) had a huge chance himself, which Alex Nübel did sensationally well to save. You can’t score eight goals against VfB. But the fact that we scored three today and had one or two more very good chances shows that we are a good team. Things can’t always work out, but I’ve seen progress. That’s certainly also because we played at home again. I’ve already mentioned that: six away games out of seven. Now we have a few home games with our fans. That helps.”

... on Maximilian Beier’s performance as a left-wing back:“Maxi had an outstanding game today. He wasn’t with the national team and was able to use the time here. Daniel (Svensson) played two full 90-minute games for Sweden again. We wanted to be more offensive at home. Not only did Maxi score a goal, he also had a chance before that, where he toe-poked it a bit and Alex (Nübel) did very well to save it. Then he set up the third goal for Karim. I’m very happy with his offensive performance. But he also did well defensively, even though he’s not a nominal full-back. He has recommended himself for further responsibilities.”