After four consecutive Bundesliga victories, Borussia Dortmund drew 0-0 with Hamburger SV on Saturday. Germany international Mats Hummels gave his reaction shortly after the fiercely competitive game and spoke about the rising expectations in Dortmund.
Question: Mr Hummels, was it a case of two points lost or one point gained for Borussia Dortmund?
Mats Hummels: A bit of both. We didn’t do enough today to get a result and move further to safety. We clearly dominated the game but struggled to get into dangerous positions so it’s a fair result. We didn’t capitalise on our dominance and were unable to find that last-minute winner.
Question: HSV put in some strong challenges and received five yellow cards. Were you surprised by their approach?
Hummels: No, it’s always been like that in games against them. There were some crunching challenges but only a couple were overzealous. I don’t think it was that dramatic; it was simply the way HSV chose to play.
Question: You’ve only recorded one victory in the last six games against HSV. Why do you find it so difficult to get a result against them?
Hummels: There are always crazy games against HSV. I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible for us to get results against them though. I remember that we won 6-1 here some time ago. There are certainly opponents who we manage to beat more frequently.
Question: After four consecutive Bundesliga victories, your winning streak has been put to a stop. How does the team handle that?
After four consecutive Bundesliga victories, Borussia Dortmund drew 0-0 with Hamburger SV on Saturday. Germany international Mats Hummels gave his reaction shortly after the fiercely competitive game and spoke about the rising expectations in Dortmund.
Question: Mr Hummels, was it a case of two points lost or one point gained for Borussia Dortmund?
Mats Hummels: A bit of both. We didn’t do enough today to get a result and move further to safety. We clearly dominated the game but struggled to get into dangerous positions so it’s a fair result. We didn’t capitalise on our dominance and were unable to find that last-minute winner.
Question: HSV put in some strong challenges and received five yellow cards. Were you surprised by their approach?
Hummels: No, it’s always been like that in games against them. There were some crunching challenges but only a couple were overzealous. I don’t think it was that dramatic; it was simply the way HSV chose to play.
Question: You’ve only recorded one victory in the last six games against HSV. Why do you find it so difficult to get a result against them?
Hummels: There are always crazy games against HSV. I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible for us to get results against them though. I remember that we won 6-1 here some time ago. There are certainly opponents who we manage to beat more frequently.
Question: After four consecutive Bundesliga victories, your winning streak has been put to a stop. How does the team handle that?
Hummels: We’re not pleased with the draw and that’s a good sign. Five weeks ago we would have gladly taken a point. We’re in much better shape now and have improved our position in the table. We want to get three points out of every game. Let me put it this way: if we get three points against Köln next weekend, then we can live with the point.
Question: Your team had a lot of set-pieces today, just like last week against Schalke, but couldn’t make the most of them. Are free-kicks currently a weakness in your game?
Hummels: We didn’t get the ball into the box often enough. We certainly had the opportunity to win though due to the number of fouls HSV committed and the resulting free-kicks. I don’t see it as a fundamental problem though.
Question: How pleased are you with the team’s defensive stability? You haven’t conceded a goal in three consecutive games, including the DFB Cup match.
Hummels: I think that our defense has been strong so far in 2015. There haven’t been any games in which we’ve had real problems in defence. The only exception was the second half in the Champions League match against Juventus Turin. Our defensive stability is important for us to be able to compete and be successful in games. If we can also keep a clean sheet against Köln, I’m confident that we’ll get the three points.
Question: Your team opted to play a lot of long balls out of defence. Was that perhaps the wrong decision?
Hummels: Some of these passes worked well while others didn’t. Route-one football also gives us the chance to try and win the second ball. It can work well if you’re not able to get your usual short passing game going. That was often the case today. We accept the fact that the statistics for the number of unsuccessful passes can increase if you choose to adopt the long ball style of play.
Question: The draw for the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup is coming up. Who would you like to be drawn against?
Hummels: I don’t mind. What’s more important for me is that we get to play at home.
