Yan Couto on goals, chances and Nico Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

How would you sum up your start to the season?“I think it’s going really well. We’re developing as a team with every game. I think the win against Wolfsburg was very important because we kept a clean sheet and got the three points. The game against Juventus was really good. Of course, we learned a lot in the final minutes – but we played very well over 90 minutes. We have to keep going like this: approach every game with high intensity, play good football, put a lot of pressure on the opposition and get results so that we have more chances of winning titles at the end of the season.”

How did you feel when you scored your first goal for BVB against Juventus?“Really happy. It took me a few attempts – now it’s finally happened. I dedicated the celebration to my daughter, who will be born in December. So it was a very emotional moment for me, one I will never forget. Of course, I will try to score even more goals in the Black & Yellow jersey.”

You set yourself high personal goals for this season – did you expect to start the season so strongly?“I said during pre-season that I have to play very well this season because I’ve now settled in Germany. That has worked very well so far after a difficult first season. But I have to play even better to get more playing time. I need goals to work towards: playing well, helping my team and the club to win games. I will continue to work on playing even more games at this level. “

You now play with a back three, so you no longer play as a classic right-back. Why do you feel more comfortable in your current position?“Of course, there are a few differences, but they’re not that big. In our current system, I can be more offensive. That suits me very well: I know my qualities, and this position helps my game. But of course I can also play in a back four, I did that for a long time at other clubs. So it’s a bit different, but I can do both.”

What are your attacking qualities? What do you like about playing in a more offensive role?“I’m a fast player and I can combine well with my teammates. I have a strong shot and I can deliver good crosses. Of course, I’m also trying to improve defensively. I defend well in one-on-one situations and am much more aggressive now. And it’s simply my job to try to play better in every game. You could see from the goal against Juventus that I play at a high tempo.”

Speaking of teammates, Nico Schlotterbeck is back and was in the starting line-up against Wolfsburg. How important is Nico to this team?“I’m happy for Nico. I know how difficult the last few months have been for him when he was injured. But he’s come back and played really, really well. Nico is a guy with a really good mentality. He talks a lot, he’s a leader on and off the pitch – he’s really important to us. Against Wolfsburg, you could see what great quality he has. He helps the club and his teammates a lot. I hope he stays healthy and plays well in the next few games.”

You’ve had a good start to the season with three wins and a draw. We’re playing Mainz on Saturday, and almost a year ago we lost 3-1 to Mainz – with a red card in the first half. What do you need to do better on Saturday?“I think every game in the Bundesliga is difficult. We have to adapt to the opponent: we’ll do that in training this week so that we can go into the game fully focused and try to stop the opponent’s quality. It will be a tough game, but we know we have to win in order to keep up at the top of the Bundesliga.”