World Cup hero André Schürrle celebrated victory number two with VfL Wolfsburg in as many games on Saturday, but this was not your typical Bundesliga win – it was a dramatic 5-4 away triumph against his former club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
The 24-year-old sat down with DFB.de after the game to talk about four-time goalscorer Bas Dost, his return to Leverkusen and Bayern's lead at the top of the table.
Question: André Schürrle, when was the last time you took part in a game as crazy as that?
André Schürrle: I've never experienced a game as crazy as that before. I was 3-0 down at half time with Mainz once and we still managed to get a 4-4 draw – against Wolfsburg (laughs). But this 5-4 win was a bit more extreme. It's not usual in football to see so many goals scored at both ends. And obviously it's a great feeling to be on the winning side of encounters like these.
Question: Bas Dost played a huge part in this victory, scoring four goals. How would you rate his performance?
Schürrle: I don't think that there is much left to be said after a striker scores four goals. And some of them were pure striker’s goals, where he’s just at the right place at the right time... His touch when meeting a cross is amazing – it was just an outstanding performance. He saved the three points today.
Question: You played with strikers like Diego Costa and Didier Drogba at Chelsea. Where would you rate Bas Dost when compared with those players?
Schürrle: It's difficult to compare players like that. The Chelsea strikers have played at the highest level for years now. Bas is also a fantastic footballer – we all witnessed that today. He gets the job done. That last goal that he scored was amazing. I don’t think many other players would be able to score a goal like that – apart from maybe Ibrahimovic.
Question: Your home debut was very successful as you provided two assists in the 3-0 win against Hoffenheim. What is your verdict on your first away game with Wolfsburg?
Schürrle: I played well in the first half, but the entire team was playing great in the opening 45 minutes. We had a lot of chances and I did as well. We all started to decline a bit in the second half and it was quite hectic out there on the pitch. We didn’t have enough possession, which made it very difficult for all of us. But like I said, we won and that's what counts.
Question: What was it like for you to return to Leverkusen, a club you used to play for?
Schürrle: I was happy to see the boys again. The fans didn’t give me as good a reception but that’s okay. They cheer on their own team and boo the opposition. We won the game and that makes me happy because we deserved it.
Question: Are you not disappointed that people seem to forget about your World Cup winning
assist in Rio?
Schürrle: I think what happens in the national team doesn't play a big role at club level. I had a good time at Leverkusen, gave everything for the club and it's a shame that some fans react that way. But like I said: That's football and it's all good. I'm not worried about it at all.
Question: Bayern are leading the title charge and are still eight points clear. Wouldn't it be nice if they were to drop some points to make things exciting again?
Schürrle: We can't influence what they do. They won't let this slip out of their hands. We have to do our own job, like we did in Leverkusen. We just have to carry on winning games and collecting points to make this a good season for us.
World Cup hero André Schürrle celebrated victory number two with VfL Wolfsburg in as many games on Saturday, but this was not your typical Bundesliga win – it was a dramatic 5-4 away triumph against his former club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
The 24-year-old sat down with DFB.de after the game to talk about four-time goalscorer Bas Dost, his return to Leverkusen and Bayern's lead at the top of the table.
Question: André Schürrle, when was the last time you took part in a game as crazy as that?
André Schürrle: I've never experienced a game as crazy as that before. I was 3-0 down at half time with Mainz once and we still managed to get a 4-4 draw – against Wolfsburg (laughs). But this 5-4 win was a bit more extreme. It's not usual in football to see so many goals scored at both ends. And obviously it's a great feeling to be on the winning side of encounters like these.
Question: Bas Dost played a huge part in this victory, scoring four goals. How would you rate his performance?
Schürrle: I don't think that there is much left to be said after a striker scores four goals. And some of them were pure striker’s goals, where he’s just at the right place at the right time... His touch when meeting a cross is amazing – it was just an outstanding performance. He saved the three points today.
Question: You played with strikers like Diego Costa and Didier Drogba at Chelsea. Where would you rate Bas Dost when compared with those players?
Schürrle: It's difficult to compare players like that. The Chelsea strikers have played at the highest level for years now. Bas is also a fantastic footballer – we all witnessed that today. He gets the job done. That last goal that he scored was amazing. I don’t think many other players would be able to score a goal like that – apart from maybe Ibrahimovic.
Question: Your home debut was very successful as you provided two assists in the 3-0 win against Hoffenheim. What is your verdict on your first away game with Wolfsburg?
Schürrle: I played well in the first half, but the entire team was playing great in the opening 45 minutes. We had a lot of chances and I did as well. We all started to decline a bit in the second half and it was quite hectic out there on the pitch. We didn’t have enough possession, which made it very difficult for all of us. But like I said, we won and that's what counts.
Question: What was it like for you to return to Leverkusen, a club you used to play for?
Schürrle: I was happy to see the boys again. The fans didn’t give me as good a reception but that’s okay. They cheer on their own team and boo the opposition. We won the game and that makes me happy because we deserved it.
Question: Are you not disappointed that people seem to forget about your World Cup winning
assist in Rio?
Schürrle: I think what happens in the national team doesn't play a big role at club level. I had a good time at Leverkusen, gave everything for the club and it's a shame that some fans react that way. But like I said: That's football and it's all good. I'm not worried about it at all.
Question: Bayern are leading the title charge and are still eight points clear. Wouldn't it be nice if they were to drop some points to make things exciting again?
Schürrle: We can't influence what they do. They won't let this slip out of their hands. We have to do our own job, like we did in Leverkusen. We just have to carry on winning games and collecting points to make this a good season for us.
