Borussia Dortmund suffered their second defeat of the season, losing 3-1 in Hamburg on Bundesliga matchday 13. After the game, Germany international Ilkay Gündogan talked about the game as well as processing the Paris terror attacks.
Question: Mr. Gündogan, BVB showed a significant drop in form tonight compared with previous performances this season. Why?
Ilkay Gündogan: We completely failed to turn up in the first half. We didn’t play like the Dortmund team from previous Bundesliga games. I don't know what happened to us during the international break, but it wasn't anything good. Our performance in the second half wasn't perfect, but we did improve. We conceded an unfortunate own goal (through Mats Hummels), which is something that can always happen to you.
Question: Was your team lacking aggression today?
Gündogan: Perhaps we lacked aggression, but we didn't even manage to get into the challenges. During our build up game, we failed to occupy the positions we usually do. Normally we try to get our full backs involved but that didn’t work today either. Hamburg were aggressive and they won possession in our half several times. We also failed to enter the challenges prior to conceding the goals. Ahead of the 2-0 we allowed Nicolai Müller to run at us without putting any pressure on him before he could pass to an unmarked Lewis Holtby. It was just an all around unfortunate evening for us.
Question: An evening to forget?
Gündogan: We can try to forget it quickly, but that's not easy. It's easier to put a win behind you, than a defeat. We are disappointed, because a win could've seen us extend the gap to third place.
Question: Was this defeat just a slip-up or a sign of more bad performances to come?
Gündogan: The next game will answer that, but I don't think that it will impact us negatively. We are an established team and simply played a poor half of football. We'll look at it again before we begin to prepare ourselves for the Europa League on Thursday.
Question: How difficult was it for you, to begin focusing on football again after the Paris terror attacks and the called off game in Hanover?
Gündogan: I would be lying if I said it was easy. To be entirely honest: It was difficult to place your focus on football again, particularly for myself because I personally went through it all. Being part of something like that, when you're locked into a stadium for twelve hours, bunched up in the changing rooms with 60 people and outside there are people getting gunned down one after the other - it's a strange situation. Lots of emotions come up in the aftermath, when you've returned home and are able to reflect on everything that's happened. It was a strange feeling to play football again today, especially after the game had been called off on Tuesday. We were all thinking that everything was safe, but they still cancelled the game. But none of that had any impact on our performance today. We know what went wrong for us tonight.
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Borussia Dortmund suffered their second defeat of the season, losing 3-1 in Hamburg on Bundesliga matchday 13. After the game, Germany international Ilkay Gündogan talked about the game as well as processing the Paris terror attacks.
Question: Mr. Gündogan, BVB showed a significant drop in form tonight compared with previous performances this season. Why?
Ilkay Gündogan: We completely failed to turn up in the first half. We didn’t play like the Dortmund team from previous Bundesliga games. I don't know what happened to us during the international break, but it wasn't anything good. Our performance in the second half wasn't perfect, but we did improve. We conceded an unfortunate own goal (through Mats Hummels), which is something that can always happen to you.
Question: Was your team lacking aggression today?
Gündogan: Perhaps we lacked aggression, but we didn't even manage to get into the challenges. During our build up game, we failed to occupy the positions we usually do. Normally we try to get our full backs involved but that didn’t work today either. Hamburg were aggressive and they won possession in our half several times. We also failed to enter the challenges prior to conceding the goals. Ahead of the 2-0 we allowed Nicolai Müller to run at us without putting any pressure on him before he could pass to an unmarked Lewis Holtby. It was just an all around unfortunate evening for us.
Question: An evening to forget?
Gündogan: We can try to forget it quickly, but that's not easy. It's easier to put a win behind you, than a defeat. We are disappointed, because a win could've seen us extend the gap to third place.
Question: Was this defeat just a slip-up or a sign of more bad performances to come?
Gündogan: The next game will answer that, but I don't think that it will impact us negatively. We are an established team and simply played a poor half of football. We'll look at it again before we begin to prepare ourselves for the Europa League on Thursday.
Question: How difficult was it for you, to begin focusing on football again after the Paris terror attacks and the called off game in Hanover?
Gündogan: I would be lying if I said it was easy. To be entirely honest: It was difficult to place your focus on football again, particularly for myself because I personally went through it all. Being part of something like that, when you're locked into a stadium for twelve hours, bunched up in the changing rooms with 60 people and outside there are people getting gunned down one after the other - it's a strange situation. Lots of emotions come up in the aftermath, when you've returned home and are able to reflect on everything that's happened. It was a strange feeling to play football again today, especially after the game had been called off on Tuesday. We were all thinking that everything was safe, but they still cancelled the game. But none of that had any impact on our performance today. We know what went wrong for us tonight.
