Hummels: We have some good weeks ahead of us. Normal training weeks in which we can work hard, without matches and non-sporting events. We're looking forward to that. I think we'll be nearing our top form week by week.
Question: You have a whole week to prepare for your next match in the DFB Pokal. That's unusual, isn't it?
Hummels: We're not rushing from game to game anymore, rather we can prepare sensibly for each individual match. That will quickly do us a lot of good.
Question: How are you physically?
Hummels: I'm still missing 1 or 2% in all areas. I was knackered after the match. In two or three weeks, I'll be able to play 90 minutes a lot easier.
Question: Is this victory an announcement to the rest of the Bundesliga, that the champions are still there?
Hummels: An announcement? No, it wasn't that. Both sides were missing too many players for it to be that. It was just another game, but a nice moment.
Victory in the Supercup on his old stomping ground. World Cup winner Mats Hummels was victorious as league champions FC Bayern München defeated DFB Pokal winners Borussia Dortmund 5-4 on penalties after a pulsating 2-2 draw at the Signal Iduna Park. We caught up with the 28-year-old to discuss the triumph and what lies in store for Bayern in the next few weeks.
Question: Mr Hummels, how would you assess the win over Borussia Dortmund? It was hard work and tense in the penalty shootout at the end, wasn't it?
Mats Hummels: We can be very happy with our performance. It was a clear improvement on last Tuesday (when Bayern lost 3-0 to Liverpool) and that was despite the fact that we were again missing players for this match. We're pleased, even though not everything was perfect, of course.
Question: Why do you think you came back so well in the first half, but didn't play so well in the second 45 minutes?
Hummels: It was very difficult for us because Dortmund pressed all over the pitch. In the first half, we reacted very well to that, but didn't in the second half. We played it back to the keeper too often in the second half, we made it too easy for ourselves and kept just passing the ball backwards. A pressing team forces you to do that and you can't break free. We played too many long balls so we could've done with a bit more calmness. We should have done better in attack when we were under pressure. But I don't think that will be a lasting problem.
Question: It was noticeable how pleased the team and the coaching staff were with this victory. Was that a reaction to the tough pre-season and the recent defeats?
Hummels: The match was played at a high level, therefore, everyone was pleased that we won. When you triumph away in Dortmund, you're allowed to be jubilant.
Question: What does this win mean for the coming weeks, especially with a view to next week's match against Chemnitzer FC in the DFB Pokal?
Hummels: We have some good weeks ahead of us. Normal training weeks in which we can work hard, without matches and non-sporting events. We're looking forward to that. I think we'll be nearing our top form week by week.
Question: You have a whole week to prepare for your next match in the DFB Pokal. That's unusual, isn't it?
Hummels: We're not rushing from game to game anymore, rather we can prepare sensibly for each individual match. That will quickly do us a lot of good.
Question: How are you physically?
Hummels: I'm still missing 1 or 2% in all areas. I was knackered after the match. In two or three weeks, I'll be able to play 90 minutes a lot easier.
Question: Is this victory an announcement to the rest of the Bundesliga, that the champions are still there?
Hummels: An announcement? No, it wasn't that. Both sides were missing too many players for it to be that. It was just another game, but a nice moment.
