“Lacked the final punch” | OneFootball

Dino Toppmöller, Ellyes Skhiri and Ansgar Knauff bemoan the first half but take the positives from the game against Union Berlin.

Head coach Dino Toppmöller: “It was a tough game, as expected. We didn’t make enough runs in behind in the first half to pull apart the defence. After the break it was a very good performance. In the end we lacked the final punch to get the ball over the line with whatever body part. Defensively we were very sound, and in attack we created a lot of situations against deep-lying opponents. I see the positives, we’ve taken a step forward and showed good enthusiasm and commitment. We lacked that little bit of luck. Union also showed good quality in their defending.”

Ansgar Knauff: “We didn’t create enough chances in the first half, which we did better in the second half. In attack we maybe lacked that little bit of luck needed for one to just fall for us. We have to work at getting that energy on the pitch from the beginning. That’s something we have to address in training and in the analysis. Getting that for 90 minutes on the pitch massively increases the chances, in these types of games, of one going in.”

Ellyes Skhiri: “We played very well in the second half – we did a lot, tried a lot and battled. We have to learn from the match but there were good things in it too. In the first half, we needed more energy and power, more fire – those were also the words of the coach. It was a lot better in the second half. We won a lot of balls and had chances, but unfortunately didn’t score any goals. That’s a shame, we have to accept it and keep working hard.”