Reactions to the game: “Give it all you got – that's what the boys did” | OneFootball

Lars Ricken (in the Mixed Zone): “Greg (Gregor Kobel, eds.) deserves special praise. Frankfurt had a couple of chances, so you need a good goalkeeper who then also saved the decisive penalty kick. Therefore big compliments to Greg, but also the entire team. Those were two nerve-wrecking games against Köln and Frankfurt. It was a total battle of attrition. Wins like that do something with the team. When you look at how they celebrate together, and what's going on in the dressing room. That gives us momentum. Matches like these can be the spark for the coming weeks.“

Sebastian Kehl (at Sky): “When you win on penalties, there's always a bit of luck involved. We were the lucky ones, and of course we're relieved. But in the end, we also deserved it.“

Niko Kovac (at Sky): “It was the umpteenth time that my brother and I had to experience a penalty shoot-out (in the Cup, eds.). Today's game could not have been decided differently because both teams gave it their all. We're happy that we've progressed, but I do feel for Eintracht, because I know how it is when you are eliminated. It was a tough match for us because Eintracht were really good. They had the home advantage, with their fans, and they used it well. But in the Cup you don't celebrate the games, you only need to continue to the next round and give it all you have. And that's what the boys did, from the first until the 120th minute. In the end, it's like roulette.“

Julian Brandt (in the Mixed Zone): “We see ourselves on a certain level, and for that you have to compete with clubs like Frankfurt – I think they are a fantastic team – and be able to win games like these, even if you play away. And that's what we did today, even though it was a penalty shoot-out. Nevertheless, we have assessed the game correctly. No one will go home saying we played brilliantly, it was more like a battle.“

Gregor Kobel (in the Mixed Zone): “It was a tough match. The penalty takers did a fantastic job. When the pressure goes up after  120 minutes, then it's not easy to take that shot. All of them were really well placed. As such, it was a great evening. It was the second round of the cup but it felt like more. A game like this is just so much fun. We've really built things up a bit, also in terms of atmosphere.  A win like this, and also the one against Köln from a few days ago, is of course really, really good – for the team, the mood, the energy.“By Boris Rupert