“Worked hard and got our reward” | OneFootball

What head coach Dino Toppmöller, Jonny Burkardt and Rasmus Kristensen had to say after the home win over Mainz in the Rhine-Main derby.

Head coach Dino Toppmöller: “The first half was tough. Before the break, we just didn’t have the pace in our game, but we turned it around in the second half and managed to get through Mainz’s blocks, and when you do that, it creates space and that’s what Ritsu exploited. It was the moment of magic that we needed – an incredible individual piece of skill. As such, we’re delighted with the win. We wanted it more in the second half, and based on our performance after the break, we deserved it.” 

Jonathan Burkardt: “It felt weird to play against my former team, but it was great to see the lads again. It was a very tight match and not a pleasant one, which is why we’re so relieved to have won today. The midfield was an absolute battle and that’s where much of the match was played out, but it was decided by one individual’s skill. After playing midweek as well, it was important to keep a clean sheet and put in a performance like this one. We worked hard today against Mainz, as we did against St. Pauli, and at the end of the day we got our reward.”

Rasmus Kristensen: “It was an awkward, nasty kind of match – plenty of fight and second balls. We found our way more in the second half and earned the three points that we got. After the week that we’ve had, I only wanted to play around 60 minutes, but it ended up being a bit more. I took a knock, my back seized up and I was at the limit. I almost injured myself celebrating at the end (laughs). It was a good second half, even if it wasn’t one for the purists. We fought and we won, and we did it for the fans who weren’t able to cheer us on us in Napoli.”