Jordan: “The last eight games are very important”
In an interview, Jordan spoke about the start of this week’s training, Gladbach’s upcoming clash with SC Freiburg (Saturday, 15:30 CET) and his season so far.
Jordan, you spent the international break recovering from a minor injury. How do you feel now?
Jordan: I’ve had a bruise on my thigh for around a month and a half. In the game at Heidenheim I took a knock, too, and I had a few problems after that. We therefore used the last week for treatment and recovery. It’s going much better for me now.
How has the mood been in the team over the last few days and are you looking forward to returning to Bundesliga action?
Jordan: The team was totally deflated after the defeat in the cup – not much more needs to be said about that. The fans were obviously extremely disappointed too, and you could see that in the atmosphere away at Heidenheim. So the international break was a good chance to recover and recharge the batteries. Everything’s still extremely tight in the table, but there’s still a chance for us to move upwards. The start of this week’s training was interesting, with lots of intensity and freshness. We’ll give everything to win against Freiburg at weekend.
What are the team’s aims for the last eight games of the season?
Jordan: The last eight games are very important – it’s going to be like eight cup finals. I hope we’ll end up in the top half of the table come the end of the season. We’ll have to give everything in the remaining games to achieve that.
You’ve scored five goals in your 19 games for Gladbach so far. That’s one more than in the entirety of last season at Union Berlin. How satisfied are you with your return in your second season in the Bundesliga?
Jordan: I spent my first season in the Germany with Union Berlin trying to get to grips with the Bundesliga. It’s a very different league to the Swiss or French leagues where I played previously. In my second Bundesliga season here at Borussia I’ve got lots of game time. It’s a different situation. I have a different role here, too – I’m playing as a striker. I hope I’ll score plenty more goals.
How have you settled in at Gladbach, and how do you rate your performance this season?
Jordan: I feel very comfortable at Borussia. I got a super welcome here – I integrated really quickly into the group. Things are going well for me in the team. I’m playing plenty of matches as well. My teammates trust me and I trust them. Of course it’s frustrating to have scored so many goals but to have also let in some unnecessary goals and not got the results we’ve deserved. I hope I’ll be able to bring the necessary aggression to the last few games of the season to lead the team to wins.
On Saturday you’ll play the first of four remaining home games. How comfortable do you feel playing at BORUSSIA-PARK, and are there any moments from this season which will live particularly long in the memory?
Jordan: I really enjoy playing at BORUSSIA-PARK. We have a great stadium. It’s always packed, the atmosphere is always brilliant. It’s super fun to play here and it’s nice to have that opportunity. It’s easy to give 100% when you’ve got the fans behind you. We’ve got four home games left, and the weekend’s game is the first of those. I hope we can celebrate victory with our fans after all four of those games. My best memory so far is of Robin Hack’s goals in the derby. I had goosebumps.
SC Freiburg are your next opponents. What sort of game are you expecting and what will it take to take home the three points?
Jordan: I think it’ll be a tricky match. Freiburg are very good as a unit. Their team are great in one-on-one duels and are strong in attack. We have to put in a solid performance for the whole 90 minutes and hold our own against them. We’ll definitely be giving it everything.
