Wöber: “Good to be back on the pitch”

Max Wöber was interviewed about his return to full fitness, Borussia’s current position in the table, and the upcoming clash against RB Leipzig.

Max, you were back in action for the first time on Saturday after having recovered from an infection. How did that feel, and how are you doing now?

Wöber: It was a great feeling to be back on the pitch and to not have to follow the game on TV. It was good for me to get 70 minutes again, as the final step in returning to full fitness is ultimately achieved by playing. I had the chance to catch my breath in the first half due to the break in play, and felt surprisingly good after half time.However, when the intensity turned up a notch, I realised that I was starting to flag a little.

You played as a part of a back three on Saturday, which is something you haven’t done many times before. How difficult was it to get organised when playing alongside each other?

Wöber: We know each other really well and everyone is aware of their own and each other’s individual roles on the pitch. Despite this, it does help if you consistently play alongside the same teammates week on week and are familiar with one another.

What are your thoughts on the 0-0 draw against SV Darmstadt now that a few days have passed?

Wöber: Darmstadt are a tough team to play against, without a doubt. However, we need to start coming up with better solutions and being more confident on the ball against strong opponents like them. We simply have to make a conscious effort to be more attacking-minded and dominant in games like that.

The team kept a clean sheet in two games on the trot, against both Leverkusen and Darmstadt, but weren’t able to score any goals themselves. Is the attack somewhat struggling right now, despite the stability in defence?

Wöber: I think that compactness in our defence is a fundamental factor that was missing from our game in the first half of the season. During that time, we conceded far too many goals. If we had beaten Darmstadt 1-0 last weekend, it could have been said that although the game wasn’t our best, we defended well as a unit and used our chances going forward. However, because we weren’t able to get any over the line, the reaction to the game was different.

You’re set to come up against Leipzig on Saturday. How are you planning to approach this game?

Wöber: Leipzig are really strong in transition. When I reflect on the match from the first half of the season, we hardly let anything through at the back. We’re aware of Leipzig’s strengths, and know that we‘re capable of competing with the teams at the top of the table.