Lahm: Franck had a very long injury absence and now needs time. He already played well when he came on last weekend against Darmstadt. He only had a short appearance in Turin, but still put in a solid performance. In Wolfsburg he got to play for a bit longer and was able to help us out. It’s very important to see that after such a long injury break - both for us and for him.
Question: You celebrated Kingsley Coman’s opener more than we’re used to seeing. Was it a decisive game in terms of the season?
Lahm: You can tell that we always want to win our games. We got off to a good start but then struggled at times. In the second half we again showed that we wanted to take the next step this week. Our task is now to win the game on Wednesday and take at least an eight-point cushion into the game at Dortmund. If we win there, our lead would be at least eleven points.
Question: Back in January 2015 Wolfsburg secured a 4-1 victory against Bayern. What has changed this season?
Lahm: Wolfsburg is not a direct opponent for the championship this season, but they are close to securing a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals, which shows how good they are. They finished second last year and won the Cup. They have very good players in their team.
Question: What is your view on Mario Götze’s situation, who once again didn’t make an appearance?
Lahm: It’s difficult for all our players, who return from a lengthy injury break. I’m not worried about him at all. It’s just a matter of time before he plays again. He is an outstanding football player and highly professional.
FC Bayern München’s 2-0 victory on the road at VfL Wolfsburg produced words of praise from skipper Philipp Lahm. The World Champion was also pleased to see Franck Ribéry return from a lengthy injury break and looked ahead to a very important week for him and his team. DFB.de summarised his statements.
Question: Mr. Lahm, you secured a comfortable 2-0 victory against the reigning DFB Cup and Supercup champions. What does this success at VfL Wolfsburg mean to FC Bayern?
Philipp Lahm: It was obviously an important win. There are much easier tasks, than having to come to Wolfsburg following a midweek Champions League game at Juventus. We have a crucial week ahead of us with games against Mainz on Wednesday and Dortmund on the weekend. That’s why it was important to start off with a victory on the road.
Question: The substitution of Franck Ribéry seemed to give Bayern new energy. How important is it for the team to have Ribéry return to full fitness?
Lahm: In most of our games the opposition is forced to cover a lot of ground because we usually have more possession, which leads to them getting tired in the closing stages of the match. Then it’s important to have players coming from the bench who can provide this new energy. We are fortunate to have a lot of quality on the bench and the players coming on are always able to help us. That doesn’t just apply to Franck, but to everyone. It’s great to see the players coming on from the bench giving it their best and helping us win the game, like it was the case again today.
Question: Now that all attacking players are fit again, there will likely be a few players unhappy with not playing every game.
Lahm: The fact that we have such a deep squad is fantastic. It’s normal to have players who are upset with the situation. It’s part of the game. We are all competitive athletes and want to play all the time.
Question: Are you surprised how well Ribéry played after he came on? Will he be a candidate for the starting XI soon?
Lahm: Franck had a very long injury absence and now needs time. He already played well when he came on last weekend against Darmstadt. He only had a short appearance in Turin, but still put in a solid performance. In Wolfsburg he got to play for a bit longer and was able to help us out. It’s very important to see that after such a long injury break - both for us and for him.
Question: You celebrated Kingsley Coman’s opener more than we’re used to seeing. Was it a decisive game in terms of the season?
Lahm: You can tell that we always want to win our games. We got off to a good start but then struggled at times. In the second half we again showed that we wanted to take the next step this week. Our task is now to win the game on Wednesday and take at least an eight-point cushion into the game at Dortmund. If we win there, our lead would be at least eleven points.
Question: Back in January 2015 Wolfsburg secured a 4-1 victory against Bayern. What has changed this season?
Lahm: Wolfsburg is not a direct opponent for the championship this season, but they are close to securing a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals, which shows how good they are. They finished second last year and won the Cup. They have very good players in their team.
Question: What is your view on Mario Götze’s situation, who once again didn’t make an appearance?
Lahm: It’s difficult for all our players, who return from a lengthy injury break. I’m not worried about him at all. It’s just a matter of time before he plays again. He is an outstanding football player and highly professional.
