Sami Khedira on the ball.
First team | April 10, 2021, 06:30 PM

“Chances and desire were there”

22 shots, the majority of possession and the advantage in the duels – but it wasn’t enough for a third consecutive home win on Saturday as the points were shared in a 2-2 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Despite a gutsy performance, the side from Berlin were unable to make the numerical advantage count fully. “With the 1-0 lead and the red card, we had to approach the game differently even though Mönchengladbach were really organised. That was our mistake, we didn’t have enough order and so we had to run a bit more,” said Sami Khedira after the final whistle. “In the second half we pressed hard, the chances and the desire were there. But we have to make sure that we work as a team for the full 90 minutes and not only when we are behind. Everyone knows that.” herthabsc.com collects the pick of the match reaction.

Sami Khedira: With the 1-0 lead and the numerical advantage, we had to approach the game differently even though Mönchengladbach were really organised. That was our mistake, we didn’t have enough order and so we had to run a bit more. In the second half we pressed hard, the chances and the desire were there. But we have to make sure that we work as a team for the full 90 minutes and not only when we are behind. Everyone knows that. We don’t have to talk about myself week after week: I’m here to help with my performances and to bring stability with my experience. But in the end it’s about the collective. In football you can only win as a team.

Niklas Stark: Our positioning wasn’t good in the first half. We spoke about that at half-time and in the second-half we didn’t do badly at all. We were regularly switching the plate and putting them under real pressure. We weren’t so effective in front of goal though. Borussia also defended really well and even had their strikers in their own penalty area at times. That makes it difficult to score a goal. Considering the run of play, we can’t be satisfied with the result and so it’s hard to go home with a smile on my face. We need a bit more calm and a bit more intelligence in our game. That’s what we lacked against Borussia and that’s why you weren’t able to get all three points. As regards the penalty, I went for the ball, my opponent pulled back and I tried to get out of the way. If the tables were turned, I would say that is a clear penalty. I don’t have to look at the pictures. We absolutely have to get three points next Sunday in Mainz.

by Hertha BSC