Friedrich: “It’s down to us”

In this interview, Marvin Friedrich speaks about the final two games of the season, his form and the support from the Gladbach fans.

Marvin, how much momentum did the late draw against Werder Bremen give you in training this week, and with the last two games of the season rapidly approaching?

Friedrich: Every point counts in our situation. That’s why we’re really glad that we managed to come away with a draw in Bremen. It’s down to us to get the points we need on Saturday.

What do you make of the position you find yourselves in ahead of the final two matches of the season against Frankfurt and Stuttgart?

Friedrich: Things are pretty tight in the bottom half of the table. We can’t allow ourselves to get comfortable while all outcomes are still possible. Instead, we’ve got to make sure we do everything we can to get the points we need sooner rather than later.

Union Berlin’s game against 1. FC Köln kicks off at the same time on Saturday. Do you always keep an eye on the results elsewhere at the end of the season?

Friedrich: I’m just concentrated on our own game. I’ll only check how the other games have gone after the final whistle. We’re in a position where we don’t have to depend on anyone else – it’s in our hands. We should approach the game with this in mind and not pay attention to other matches.

In the past few games, you’ve used a more compact set-up. How do you find playing in this system as a centre-back?

Friedrich: Even though we’re still conceding too many goals, I think that we’ve been keeping things tighter and giving less away defensively in our last few matches. The set-up is a good fit for us. We’ve got no problems scoring goals at the other end of the pitch. We’ve got to make sure we defend better as a unit, and the system we’re using at the moment gives us more stability in that respect.

You’ve started ten of Borussia’s last 15 matches. How do you think you’ve played during the second half of the season?

Friedrich: I feel good physically and can tell that the coach trusts me, which is incredibly important for me. There are two games to go and I hope I’m in the starting XI for both of them.

Eintracht Frankfurt are looking to book their spot in next year’s Europa League. What do you make of Saturday’s opponents and what’s going to decide which way the game goes?

Friedrich: Frankfurt have a lot of individual quality. Their games are normally pretty crazy. They’ve got a lot of pace up top. We’ve got to make sure we’re alert from the get-go. We want to hit them on the break when we win the ball back so we can carve out chances. We’re also going to be clinical in front of goal.

There’s going to be a full house at the BORUSSIA-PARK. The average attendance at games there this season is over 51,200. What do you think about the fans’ support?

Friedrich: We’re just thankful for the incredible support. We’ve got to give the fans a lot of credit. We know better than anyone else that this season hasn’t gone well. However, the fans always turn up and are right behind us despite that. It would be even better if we could win our last home game of the season for them.

Saturday will be Tony Jantschke and Patrick Herrmann’s last home games as Gladbach players. How moving is their farewell going to be from your perspective?

Friedrich: It’s definitely going to be an emotional game for both of them on Saturday. They’ve helped to shape Gladbach’s identity for several years. They’re both club legends who’ve played over 700 games combined for the Foals. That tells you everything you need to know. I hope that we put in a good performance on Saturday to give them a fitting send-off.