Juan Perea is the most subbed-on player in the VfB squad. Twelve of his 13 Bundesliga appearances have come off the bench, including in Saturday’s game at home to Bayern Munich. The 23-year-old entered the fray in the 74th minute, with VfB 2-0 down. “Against Bayern you’re playing against one of the best teams in the league,” said Perea. “We showed what we’re made of against them. Whenever I come on I want to give my best and help the team. Obviously I was aware I was coming up against world-class players, but you still try to affect the game.”
Fourteen minutes after his substitution, he was celebrating his first Bundesliga goal, which added tension to the clash with the champions. “The coach wanted me to put myself about in the box. I went into the header from the cross with complete conviction. It was a nice goal. Even though it sadly wasn’t enough to get a point, it was an emotional moment for me,” said the striker, adding: “I hope it’s the first of many.”
Perea and his teammates began preparations for the away match at Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday. “We want to show even more passion in each game and use that to get good results,” he continued. “We want to get something in Frankfurt.”