“A very special moment for all of us”

Yussuf Poulsen: These are exactly the moments you play football for. You hope to experience matches like this, games that mean even more than just three points, where the stadium is electric for 90 minutes and the emotions run high.  It was one of the most intense Bundesliga games I’ve experienced. Everyone fought for each other and left everything out there. It’s great to see what we’re capable of as a team in moments like this.

Luka Vuskovic: It’s definitely one of the best goals I’ve scored so far. There was a bit of fortune involved, but I’m delighted with how it came off. My celebration was for my brother, who was in the stadium today – all my respect to him. Winning the derby means a lot to us, and the three points are hugely important given where we are in the table. 

"It’s hard to put this match into words, especially the emotions at the end. This is what a derby is all about."

Miro Muheim: It’s hard to put this match into words, especially the emotions at the end. This is what a derby is all about. With the fans behind us, we managed to get the win late on. The atmosphere was unbelievable. Everyone gave their all. It’s an important win, both for our position in the table and also because a derby victory gives you a real lift. We’ll enjoy it and then look ahead to our next game.

Bakery Jatta: Today is all about the derby win, and we’re going to enjoy it. It hasn’t been an easy period for me, but I’ve stayed positive and kept working to show what I can do when the chance comes. I’m grateful the coach put his trust in me.

"We’ve already seen how much energy this team can generate together with the stadium."

Merlin Polzin: It was a very special moment for all of us, and the atmosphere at the Volksparkstadion was fantastic. We wanted to use the energy coming from the stands, and the lads didn’t just get carried away by the emotions, they followed the plan. I was pleased with how we handled the ball. The key was not losing our structure after going behind. With a few tweaks, we applied things well in the second half. In recent weeks we’ve already seen how much energy this team can generate together with the stadium, and how that can turn into a spell of pressure that leads to goals and results. We know exactly what this match means to our fans. So today, my respect goes to the team and the supporters.

Horst Steffen: Today was a typical derby. It was hard fought, there were lots of duels and several controversial moments. We went in front, but HSV piled on the pressure and we didn’t get many breaks. They kept asking questions of us and deserved their equaliser. Their second goal was unusual, you can only congratulate them on the way it went in. We responded well and made it 2-2, and at that point anything could have happened, but then the decisive moment fell their way. We left too much space and they punished us. It’s obviously disappointing to lose 3-2.