Quotes

“I am very proud of the lads”

HSV beat Duisburg 2-1 away and are now unbeaten in their last 11 league games. The players were unsurprisingly delighted after the game. HSV.de presents the reactions from the match.

The game was once again tense until the end but HSV once again came away as winners. Die Rothosen were involved in an intriguing game in Duisburg but were worthy winners. Despite the uneven surface at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Hannes Wolf’s team tried to play good football and controlled the game for the majority of the match. Despite not giving away many chances to the opposition, HSV were made to hold on to their lead until the very end to remain top of the pile after the first round of fixtures. The relief after full time was there for all to see.

Aaron Hunt: It was hard to get the ball down and play on this pitch but we managed it. We were not bothered about the pitch before the game, we just wanted to win the game. It is great to stay top of the league and we are delighted for the fans who came here in their numbers once again to support us. Free kicks seem to be working out for me recently but it was important to get back into the lead as soon as possible at this point in the match. We needed to make the most of our chances in the second half and try to kill the game off. I always love playing football but playing in this team at the moment, where everyone wants the ball, is really enjoyable.

Gotoku Sakai: It was a really important win today. However, getting three points next weekend is even more important. We have one last game before we can have a break. We seem to be defending well in every game at the minute. Everyone works back and that helps us stay strong and gives us extra security when defending.

Josha Vagnoman: I am delighted to have come on today. We played well today at a difficult place, especially in the first half. I came on in the second half and was straight in the thick of the action but there was no need to be nervous. You need to just throw yourself into it when you come on at the end. We managed to get the win in the end but I need to keep working to get more chances.

Hannes Wolf: It was a tough game, as we expected. We started well and took the lead but the opposition scored with their first set piece. We then regained the lead with a brilliant free kick from Hunt and we managed to defend well from there on in. It was a deserved win but we needed to stay on our toes until the final whistle. I am proud of the lads to win such a challenging game in the middle of December. It is often challenging in winter in the second division. Pitches start to cut up and it makes it harder to pass the ball and get a rhythm going. It is crucial that you give it your all and the lads have continued to do that over the past few weeks. It looks easy from the outside but it really is not.

Torsten Lieberknecht: The match was tight. We did not give much away. No one would have complained if neither side got the win today. I was upset after the Heidenheim game with the attitude of the team but we did it right today. We will get our rewards if we keep playing like that