"We need to be bolder!"

The first things that come to mind when you think of Peter Pekarik are reliability, diligence and discipline. A right back that bombs up and down with passion all game long. He keeps things tight at the back and supports his team moving forward, picking out the gaps to feed the forwards. One area that is lacking in his game – and the Slovakian does not disagree with this – is goals. In 11,679 Bundesliga minutes, the 30-year-old has yet to score a single goal. But one thing is clear for Pekarik – the team’s success always comes first. On Saturday (04.02.16), he and his teammates will be looking to get back to winning ways against FC Ingolstadt.

herthabsc.de: Peka, do you ever hear any jokes about how you haven’t scored a goal in your 143 Bundesliga appearances?

Peter Pekarik: Next question please (laughs). Every game I’m obviously always hopeful that I will finally get that goal. But I’m relaxed about it, there’s no rush. If we win, everything is good anyway. The right moment will come along one day.

herthabsc.de: The year hasn’t started according to plan, with defeats in Leverkusen and Freiburg. What lessons has the team taken from that?

Pekarik: Obviously we have watched back the two games to see where we are improving and in which areas we need to strengthen. We need to be bolder going forward and have more faith in our ability. A win against Ingolstadt on Saturday would be very important for us.

herthabsc.de: Hertha’s second-half-of-the-season “curse” has been the topic of much talk lately. Do these kinds of media stories impact the team much?

Pekarik: As a team we got together during the training camp and talked. We set ourselves the goal of finishing in the top six. I think we will do better this season than we did in the second half of last season. In order for us to achieve that, we need to learn from our mistakes. I wouldn’t say that the team is cursed or anything like that, or at least it doesn’t feel that way. There’s a very good atmosphere in the team and if we do well against Ingolstadt, we will start to see that on the pitch again.

herthabsc.de: Your fellow countryman Ondrej Duda has still not made an appearance since joining the club, due to injury. How are you helping him through this tough period?

Pekarik: I get on very well with Ondrej. We eat out together quite often. He’s doing a lot better these days, he’s not too far from rejoining team training. Ondrej is a good young player and a great guy.

herthabsc.de: You have been in Berlin since 2012. What is the appeal of this city for you?

Pekarik: I like everything (laughs). Berlin is a really cool city, I love living here. My wife and I feel very at home here. Living in Berlin, there’s a lot to do in your free time and a lot of variety. I like that. I’m really very happy here.

herthabsc.de: On Saturday (04.02.17) you face Ingolstadt. “Die Schanzer” are fighting for survival, but won last weekend in Hamburg. How tough will this match be?

Pekarik: Ingolstadt played very well against Hamburg. They are very compact in defence. But we’re playing in front of our fans and are strong at home. We hope to take advantage of that and put a good run together. We also want to win again for our fans to give them some joy.