“Keep on working hard and picking up points”

It’s never nice to be in the relegation battle, but getting an important home win still feels good. The Herthaner were able to build on a solid first-half performance against FC Augsburg, adding goals after the break to secure a crucial 2-0 victory in the fight to stay up. “The three points were important and we’re incredibly relieved. We knew that it would be a scrap, with a lot of long balls and hard-fought challenges. We were prepared for that, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. We have to keep on working hard and picking up points,” said Tolga Ciğerci. herthabsc.com gathered the thoughts from the Hertha camp after Saturday’s win.

Jean-Paul Boëtius: We‘re very relieved, because we knew how important it was to get the three points today. We fought hard for them for the full 90 minutes, and we got our reward. In the first half, we were a little unlucky in the final third, but we were determined to change that in the second half. We also want to thank our fans, who gave us amazing support.

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Dárdai & Ngankam called up to provisional Germany U21s squad

Dárdai & Ngankam called up to provisional Germany U21s squad

Dárdai & Ngankam called up to provisional Germany U21s squad

Tolga Ciğerci: The three points were important and we’re incredibly relieved. We knew that it would be a scrap, with a lot of long balls and hard-fought challenges. We were prepared for that, dealt with it well and were more alert to the ball. But we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. We have to keep on working hard and picking up points.

Oliver Christensen: It’s been a while since we kept a clean sheet, so it’s a great weekend. We defended really well. The first half in particular was a real battle. We had a bit more space in the second half and created more chances. Dodi came in and did a great job. That’s a matter of quality, and we have a lot of that. Jove’s return also adds to that, so that’s important.

Dodi Lukébakio: It’s a great feeling. It was incredibly important for us to get the win and it gives us a lot of confidence. We knew that we needed to get the points today given our situation, so now we want to keep going and pick up more. We carried a bit more of a threat in the second half and created more space, because Augsburg were a little more adventurous. Of course, I’d rather be starting the game, but the key is that I’m ready when the club and my team needs me. The coach explained his intentions to me ahead of the match. It’s not about me, it’s about picking up points together as a team in this difficult period. We managed to do that and so I’m really happy.

Florian Niederlechner: After my time in Augsburg and my move here in January, it was special to be meeting again so soon. At the end of the day, it’s three very important points against a relegation rival. It doesn’t matter to me who scores the goals or get the assists, but of course I hope I can get my first goal soon. Marco is a real specialist against our former club. I said already during the week that it would be a tough match; FCA are very uncomfortable to play against. We took on the challenge, we worked hard for each other and fought for each other – that’s all you can do in the relegation battle. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was a win with character. The points take us out of the relegation zone and move us closer to Augsburg.

Marvin Plattenhardt: You can sense the relief and we’re obviously very happy. It was a hard-fought match with a lot of long balls. We were more composed on the ball in the second half, which was something we spoke about at half time. We had more movement between the lines, we held the ball up well and brought players into the game. That was the key behind the win, apart from the two goals.

Marco Richter: The win is all that counts. I’m over the moon. There were lots of my friends and family in the stands, so it’s even more special for me. It’s nice to have scored again and hopefully they’ll keep coming. There were two options before my goal, but I’m more the kind of guy who has a go from distance every now and again. I can get a good knuckle shot with my instep, and the snow played a role too. The success of the team is the most important thing though. I think you could see that we were determined to keep the three points here today. It does us a lot of good and I think we deserved it. It’s a little weight off our shoulders. I hope that it can give me and the team a push and that we can carry on in the same vein.