"Carry this momentum"
"Carry this momentum"
The positive start to the season in the capital has a lot to do with Pál Dárdai being able to rely on his whole squad. Players that aren’t starting in every game are still delivering the goods when they’re brought into the team. Maximilian Mittelstädt is a prime example of that. The Hertha youth product has been clocking game time fairly regularly so far this campaign and is repaying that faith as well, recently getting a crucial assist in Dortmund and then scoring his first competitive goal in the DFB-Pokal against Darmstadt. We interviewed the Berlin-born left back about strength in depth, a special personal stat and the upcoming league game against Leipzig on Saturday.
herthabsc.de: Maxi, you scored your first Hertha goal in the win at Darmstadt. Tell us what was going through your head when you went to celebrate with the travelling fans.
Mittelstädt: I was just over the moon that I had scored. The moment when the ball hit the back of the net was indescribable. Celebrations are something I haven’t exactly practiced and I didn’t really know what to do. I just ran to the fans to thank them for their support. Niklas Stark joked that we need to put some work into our celebrations (laughs).
herthabsc.de: There weren’t many negatives in Darmstadt. How would you rate the team’s performance in hindsight?
Mittelstädt: We knew from the start that it could be a scrappy game and that we’d need to be patient. We managed to stay composed, carried on playing our game and in the end we got our reward.
herthabsc.de: Both you and Vedad Ibišević scored from the bench in Darmstadt. It was another example of the coach being able to put his faith in the entire squad. What do you think that’s down to?
Mittelstädt: I think we have great strength in depth. You see that the fresh legs in the team and the substitutes provide an added impetus – whether in Darmstadt or in the Bundesliga. It’s testament to the quality throughout the squad and it allows us to replace players if they get injured.
herthabsc.de: Does this strength in depth give you a certain amount of assurance as a player out on the pitch?
Mittelstädt: It means you know that every player out there is always giving 100 percent, but it also means that you know those players on the bench can come on and decide the game too. It’s definitely a strength of ours and fills us with confidence that we can keep up this successful start to the season.
herthabsc.de: Things have gone quite well for you against some of the bigger names in particular, with you having clocked 90 minutes in good results against Schalke, Bayern and most recently Dortmund. Do the big games suit you better?
Mittelstädt: That’s hard to say. I obviously always try to give my best whenever I’m on the pitch, but things have happened to go my way in particular against those sides.
herthabsc.de: After the cup battle at the Böllenfalltor, it’s back home to the Olympiastadion on Saturday. RB Leipzig are in a similar position to Hertha in the table. How different will that game be to Tuesday’s, and what are you expecting from the match?
Mittelstädt: It will be a completely different game altogether. RB are a side that like to press high up the pitch and don’t let you get into your rhythm. But we’re in good form and want to carry this momentum into the match. It will be important for us to play to our own strengths, i.e. play attacking football, press them early and take our chances. If we do that, we can get a result.
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[>]Everyone always gives 100 percent, but you also know the players on the bench can come on and decide the game too[<]