Reigning champions Bayern München are into the DFB Cup quarter-finals after beating VfL Wolfsburg 1-0. Despite progressing to the next round, world champion Mats Hummels is not completely satisfied with how his team performed.
The centre-back speaks about his recent performances in the Bundesliga, the Champions League last 16 and Philipp Lahm’s announcement that he is retiring.
Interviewer: Mr Hummels, FC Bayern are through to the DFB Cup quarter-finals after beating VfL Wolfsburg 1-0. Are you satisfied with the match and the result?
Mats Hummels: We dominated the game and we can be pleased with the first 80 minutes. But we ended up with a lot of problems in the last few minutes. We left ourselves vulnerable to the counterattack when we had eight men forward and carelessly lost the ball. We were too casual about it so there was a real danger that we might have conceded on two or three occasions. We were definitely lucky because the big teams would have punished us and so would Wolfsburg have normally as well. Yunus Malli actually should have scored. In terms of the way we allowed them to counterattack, we were a bit more open to that at the beginning of the season, then we cut it out but today it played a big part in the game once again.
Interviewer: It was a fairly straightforward match once Douglas Costa’s deflected effort put you intp the lead after 17 minutes though.
Hummels: We had everything under control and our defence had pretty much nothing to do until just before the end. Before that we really missed the chance to make it 2-0. We had enough opportunities to make it a comfortable victory but unfortunately we didn’t manage that. And as has been the case quite often, it was close towards the end once again.
Interviewer: The problems with Bayern’s build-up play were also clear to see last Saturday in the 1-1 draw with FC Schalke in the Bundesliga.
Hummels: It’s true that we’ve partly been too static in our play, especially after we’ve taken the lead where it’s then kind of just become about maintaining that. That is of course something where we clearly have to improve, especially against the better teams. We’ve made it pretty difficult for ourselves in recent weeks. We need to aim to really concentrate on all elements of our game over the full 90 minutes.
Interviewer: Is there enough time to change things before the first leg of the Champions League last 16 against Arsenal next Wednesday? Can you turn the switch that quickly? It worked really well against RB Leipzig just before Christmas.
Hummels: Yes, that is what we have to do. It is not impossible.
Question: Your captain Philipp Lahm has announced that he is calling time on his career and will not be seeing out his contract until 2018, but will instead end things at the end of the season. What do you make of that?
Hummels: I hadn’t known, I only just found out. I would have really liked to have seen him carry on playing but on the other hand, I can also understand him. He timed it well with his retirement from the national team after winning the world cup in 2014 in Brazil. I’m certain he’s thought hard about it and considered everything. He will have his reasons. If he now says that he wants to do something different after the summer, then we have to respect that. But it is definitely a shame because he always performs at the highest level and he isn’t going to be with us in the dressing room or on the pitch.
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Reigning champions Bayern München are into the DFB Cup quarter-finals after beating VfL Wolfsburg 1-0. Despite progressing to the next round, world champion Mats Hummels is not completely satisfied with how his team performed.
The centre-back speaks about his recent performances in the Bundesliga, the Champions League last 16 and Philipp Lahm’s announcement that he is retiring.
Interviewer: Mr Hummels, FC Bayern are through to the DFB Cup quarter-finals after beating VfL Wolfsburg 1-0. Are you satisfied with the match and the result?
Mats Hummels: We dominated the game and we can be pleased with the first 80 minutes. But we ended up with a lot of problems in the last few minutes. We left ourselves vulnerable to the counterattack when we had eight men forward and carelessly lost the ball. We were too casual about it so there was a real danger that we might have conceded on two or three occasions. We were definitely lucky because the big teams would have punished us and so would Wolfsburg have normally as well. Yunus Malli actually should have scored. In terms of the way we allowed them to counterattack, we were a bit more open to that at the beginning of the season, then we cut it out but today it played a big part in the game once again.
Interviewer: It was a fairly straightforward match once Douglas Costa’s deflected effort put you intp the lead after 17 minutes though.
Hummels: We had everything under control and our defence had pretty much nothing to do until just before the end. Before that we really missed the chance to make it 2-0. We had enough opportunities to make it a comfortable victory but unfortunately we didn’t manage that. And as has been the case quite often, it was close towards the end once again.
Interviewer: The problems with Bayern’s build-up play were also clear to see last Saturday in the 1-1 draw with FC Schalke in the Bundesliga.
Hummels: It’s true that we’ve partly been too static in our play, especially after we’ve taken the lead where it’s then kind of just become about maintaining that. That is of course something where we clearly have to improve, especially against the better teams. We’ve made it pretty difficult for ourselves in recent weeks. We need to aim to really concentrate on all elements of our game over the full 90 minutes.
Interviewer: Is there enough time to change things before the first leg of the Champions League last 16 against Arsenal next Wednesday? Can you turn the switch that quickly? It worked really well against RB Leipzig just before Christmas.
Hummels: Yes, that is what we have to do. It is not impossible.
Question: Your captain Philipp Lahm has announced that he is calling time on his career and will not be seeing out his contract until 2018, but will instead end things at the end of the season. What do you make of that?
Hummels: I hadn’t known, I only just found out. I would have really liked to have seen him carry on playing but on the other hand, I can also understand him. He timed it well with his retirement from the national team after winning the world cup in 2014 in Brazil. I’m certain he’s thought hard about it and considered everything. He will have his reasons. If he now says that he wants to do something different after the summer, then we have to respect that. But it is definitely a shame because he always performs at the highest level and he isn’t going to be with us in the dressing room or on the pitch.
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