Bellarabi: "We're just pleased to be in the next round"

Karim Bellarabi won’t be forgetting the two legs of his Europa League clash with Sporting Lisbon in a hurry. The 25-year-old had already scored a decisive goal in the first leg in Portugal and added went one better in the return leg. In the 3-1 home win last night, Bellarabi scored two goals, one of which was a rather spectacular finish from 25 yards out. In an interview with DFB.de, the ten-times Germany international spoke about his standout performance over the two legs, his preferences for the last 16 draw and the drama surrounding his manager Roger Schmidt.

Question:You have gone one step further in the Europa League. Is that a good feeling?

Karim Bellarabi:Yes, of course. We’re very happy because we knew it wouldn’t be easy against Sporting Lisbon.

Question: You scored a total of three goals over the two legs. Has that put you among the contenders for "Mr. Europe"?

Bellarabi: No no. For now we’re just pleased to be in the next round. It was a very important win for us. Obviously I’m also very pleased to have scored two goals. Now I’m hoping for an interesting draw.

Question:After the equaliser there was a shaky period. Did your goal to make it 2-1 come at the right moment?

Bellarabi:At the end of the first half it became quite difficult for us. We let up a little. In the second half we came out of the traps well, but had another short weak spell, so I do think my goal came at the right time.

Question:Did all the drama in the last few days (manager Roger Schmidt has received a three-game Bundesliga touchline ban for unsporting behaviour, plus a further two under probation) actually have a positive effect on your performance?

Bellarabi: It’s been a dramatic week in general. So the win was very important for us and the club as a whole. As said: We’re just pleased to be in the next round.

Question:What effect did Roger Schmidt have on you: Was he calmer?

Bellarabi:We knew what needed to be done and we remained calm as a team. We got the job done and won it for our manager.

Question:On Sunday in Mainz, the assistant manager will be on the touchline. How will that be?

Bellarabi:It will be the same as always. The boss will obviously not be sitting on the bench, but we will give everything to take home the three points on Sunday as we would in any other game.

Question:Captain Lars Bender said in the week that it should be an aim now to be playing in another big final. Is it too early to be speaking about this?

Bellarabi: We know there’s still a long way to go until the final. I think everything is to play for. There are some strong teams left in the competition. We’ll have to wait for the last 16 draw first of all.

Question:Do you have any preferences in terms of the draw?

Bellarabi:We always like to play against big clubs. So Manchester United would be pretty cool. We’ll see what happens.