Schmidt: “We’ll take the point”

Martin Schmidt, Aymen Barkok and Finn Dahmen spoke to the media after the 1-1 draw in Stuttgart. Although not everything went smoothly in the first game after the restart, the overall consensus is that a point was a fair result on Saturday afternoon.

Reaction from the Mercedes-Benz Arena

Martin Schmidt: “The first half in particular showed that it was the first game back after the break. There were a few mistakes and both sides lacked concentration at times. That was also down to the fact that something was at stake once again. We defended well in the first half apart from the moment that lead to the goal. We then equalised with a penalty so the 1-1 was deserved at the break. Things looked a little different in the second half. Stuttgart were better for the first 20 minutes and we had trouble closing down the spaces. We also had the rub of the green. It could have been 2-2 if both shots that hit the crossbar had gone in. We’ll take the point. Stuttgart were the more aggressive and dangerous side but we deserved a point overall.”

Aymen Barkok: “It was a fair result overall and there were chances on both sides. I think it’s understandable that we had to feel our way back in after such a long break. I would have liked us to have been a bit more composed at the end, we were a little bit reckless. The point is okay overall. It was nice for me personally to be able to help the team. I would have been even happier if my shot that hit the crossbar had gone in. I think we can build on this performance and I’ll keep pushing to score my first Bundesliga goal for Mainz.”

Finn Dahmen: “It was a fun game to play in, there was a lot of anticipation for it. We did alright without the ball but we were too sloppy in possession. We have to improve and play better in the next couple of games. The goal we conceded was irritating because we had several chances to clear our lines. That sort of thing gets punished in the Bundesliga.”