Hummels: We’re doing considerably better, at least. You can see that. We’ve netted 13 goals in our last four games and just 18 in the previous 19 before that. That shows that we’re on a considerably better path.
DFB.de: Were you surprised that your team got so many chances against a recently very strong at the back Schalke side?
Hummels: In the analysis we saw some really good situations for ourselves, where we could help one another. We put together a very good plan that we then put into action. That’s also an art. The fact that we had 30, 31 chances when the quality was that high…With the attack we have in our side, it’s always possible that we sometimes punish a side. That should be the case more often of course, as it’s simply more fun when you play like that than being plagued by self-doubt.
DFB.de: Where is next for BVB? Could you even qualify for Europe?
Hummels: That’s a bit too much. But we had a bit of success today. But it makes no sense to think about at what high levels await us as we still have a very packed schedule ahead of us. We’re finally into the upper half of the table. Our aim is to win in Hamburg and make up for the return fixture earlier this season. Before that, we want to overcome Dresden in the DFB Cup.
DFB.de: What kind of game are you expecting on Tuesday against Dynamo Dresden?
Hummels: I’m expecting a classic cup battle. It might plan out differently but I’ll go into the game with the mindset that Dresden will try to play with eleven men behind the ball. We’ll see what approach they take. We of course won’t allow that approach to work.
With a strong performing Germany international Mats Hummels as captain, Borussia Dortmund celebrated a much-earned derby victory on matchday 23 of the Bundesliga. The 3-0 win over Schalke 04 meant that BVB leapt further in the table to tenth place. The 26-year-old World Cup winner spoke to DFB.de following the derby win on his side’s fourth league win in a row, BVB’s superb pressing game, Marco Reus’ and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Batman celebration and the upcoming DFB Cup last-16 tie away to Dynamo Dresden.
DFB.de: Mats Hummels, what was the mood in the dressing room like after the derby win?
Mats Hummels: We were in really good spirits. It’s clearly all the better if you win games. We showed that last time out against Freiburg. We’ve now finally started this small run in the league, albeit later than we would have liked. It’s a nice feeling now as we’re finally heading in another direction since matchday 19. I of course hope that we can keep it going.
DFB.de: As time went on and the score was still 0-0 with more and more missed chances, was there any doubt in your mind that the match wouldn’t go in your side’s favour?
Hummels: That was the case four, five weeks ago. But we just kept going today and stuck to our plan. We barely let them have anything. We played our best game in terms of pressing them, not just this season, but in the time period that we’ve done it. That made life a lot easier for ourselves. So we could stay patient but play with determination going forward, not making life easy for our opponents and always trying to keep the pace in the game. We did that superbly today.
DFB.de: What’s your take on the Batman and Robin celebration from your colleagues‘ Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus?
Hummels: Fantastic celebration and really creative yet again what the pair came up with. The rule about whether they should be fined shouldn’t be paid a second's thought. That’s definitely not the talking point today.
DFB.de: Are the team back on the path to where you want to be?
Hummels: We’re doing considerably better, at least. You can see that. We’ve netted 13 goals in our last four games and just 18 in the previous 19 before that. That shows that we’re on a considerably better path.
DFB.de: Were you surprised that your team got so many chances against a recently very strong at the back Schalke side?
Hummels: In the analysis we saw some really good situations for ourselves, where we could help one another. We put together a very good plan that we then put into action. That’s also an art. The fact that we had 30, 31 chances when the quality was that high…With the attack we have in our side, it’s always possible that we sometimes punish a side. That should be the case more often of course, as it’s simply more fun when you play like that than being plagued by self-doubt.
DFB.de: Where is next for BVB? Could you even qualify for Europe?
Hummels: That’s a bit too much. But we had a bit of success today. But it makes no sense to think about at what high levels await us as we still have a very packed schedule ahead of us. We’re finally into the upper half of the table. Our aim is to win in Hamburg and make up for the return fixture earlier this season. Before that, we want to overcome Dresden in the DFB Cup.
DFB.de: What kind of game are you expecting on Tuesday against Dynamo Dresden?
Hummels: I’m expecting a classic cup battle. It might plan out differently but I’ll go into the game with the mindset that Dresden will try to play with eleven men behind the ball. We’ll see what approach they take. We of course won’t allow that approach to work.
