Brandt: I didn’t play in the cup last year because I was at the Olympics and then I wasn’t available for the second round. I really like playing in cup games and I’ve still got a lot to give this season.
DFB.de: What are your targets for the competition?
Brandt: I would like to get as far into the competition as possible. And I have never played in a cup final in Berlin – that would be amazing. We’re on our way towards that goal.
DFB.de: Is there a team you’d particularly like to face in the Round of 16?
Brandt: All the games still haven’t been played, of course. It doesn’t really matter to me even if we get Bayern Munich. We would probably have to meet them eventually anyway.
DFB.de: How big a relief was the 5-1 win in Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga last Saturday for you and your team?
Brandt: A 5-1 victory always feels good and even more so when you come on as a substitute, score and have a good game. We had been quite frustrated in the last few weeks because we had let slip a lot of games from winning positions. So it was a big relief, even if I was not able to contribute more to the team. Now we are well prepared for the derby against Köln on Sunday.
DFB.de: What sort of mindset do you have going into the big clash?
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have cruised through to the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal. Julian Brandt was one of the star performers once again in their 4-1 win against 2. Bundesliga side Union Berlin. The Confederations Cup winner scored the opener after a brilliant run. The 21-year-old spoke to DFB.de about his cup ambitions, the upcoming derby against 1.FC Köln and his role in the national team.
DFB.de: Julian Brandt, the Werkself cruised into the next round of the DFB-Pokal. What did you think about your team’s performance in the win against Union Berlin?
Julian Brandt: In terms of the result, there’s not much more you can ask for. We don’t need to bemoan us not taking our chances any more – in the last two or three games, we’ve been really clinical. I wish that we had played a bit more seriously though and killed the game off sooner. But at the end of the day we are through to the next round so I’m happy.
DFB.de: Your goal was a great individual effort…
Brandt: It all happened quite quickly. I think Admir Mehmedi called from behind me to play him through. But I went through the small gap myself but I didn’t see the ball hit the back of the net because I was upended. When I heard everyone celebrating, I felt a bit lucky that it had gone in.
DFB.de: The side had a bit of a wobble in the second half, as you mentioned. Was it to do with the change at half-time?
Brandt: No, I wouldn’t say at all that it was because of the substitution at the break (Panagiotis Retsos for Sven Bender). Sven Bender played well in the first half. So when you then concede 50 seconds after making a change, it can be quite unsettling. We defended quite badly and then we played in a way that we shouldn’t have – we just lumped the ball forwards and gave the opposition the ball which meant they could create their chances. It took us a while to settle down again. We could’ve even gone two goals up before the break and it would’ve put the game to bed. So it wasn’t a perfect game.
DFB.de: How motivated are you for the DFB-Pokal ties?
Brandt: I didn’t play in the cup last year because I was at the Olympics and then I wasn’t available for the second round. I really like playing in cup games and I’ve still got a lot to give this season.
DFB.de: What are your targets for the competition?
Brandt: I would like to get as far into the competition as possible. And I have never played in a cup final in Berlin – that would be amazing. We’re on our way towards that goal.
DFB.de: Is there a team you’d particularly like to face in the Round of 16?
Brandt: All the games still haven’t been played, of course. It doesn’t really matter to me even if we get Bayern Munich. We would probably have to meet them eventually anyway.
DFB.de: How big a relief was the 5-1 win in Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga last Saturday for you and your team?
Brandt: A 5-1 victory always feels good and even more so when you come on as a substitute, score and have a good game. We had been quite frustrated in the last few weeks because we had let slip a lot of games from winning positions. So it was a big relief, even if I was not able to contribute more to the team. Now we are well prepared for the derby against Köln on Sunday.
DFB.de: What sort of mindset do you have going into the big clash?
Brandt: Everyone can’t wait for the game. But the situation isn’t that easy, even though we are higher up the table now and have not lost for a few games whilst Köln have had quite a few defeats. But that still makes it hard because Köln will start winning again soon. I hope that that doesn’t happen against us. The game is crucial for us and the fans. We don’t want even a point, we want all three.
DFB.de: What do you think of your season so far in terms of the national side? Do you think you are now an established international?
Brandt: I am growing steadily into the team. The expectations increase over time. I think I’ve had worse starts to seasons. I am trying to improve all the time and increase the levels of my performances. It is also normal to have a poor game here and there. But in the last few years, I have often made mistakes and there have been poor parts of my performances. That hasn’t happened as much this season. I am trying to prove myself with goals, assists and wins with Leverkusen. If we win, it makes us all look good.
