“The team looked really good right from the start”

Ole Werner: “Overall, we were extremely solid and dominant. The team looked really good right from the start. We were in the game and able to create space for ourselves, pressed hard and were able to keep it tight at the back. The team were 100% there today. Over the course of 60 to 65 minutes, we did everything that we had set out to do. The only phase in which we dropped our intensity a bit was in the last 20 to 25 minutes, where we should have been more dominant considering we had a man advantage. Having said that, today was also our first competitive game. Physically, we’re at a good level, and our communication was good too. It was what we’d set out to do.”

Niklas Stark: “It was a very mature performance from us. We had a few problems at the start of the second half. Cottbus had to really throw everything behind the ball in order to make things happen. It’s also normal to go through a phase like that during the game – we managed to withstand it. That’s why overall, we can say it was a good performance and a deserved win. It was a good test ahead of the return of the Bundesliga. It’s always tough to rate a cup game. Obviously there’s a lot at stake, but it also doesn’t have the same atmosphere or quality of a Bundesliga game. Having said that, it was good for us to get our heads into competition mode. Now, we can head to Augsburg with confidence.”

Winning words from Werner ????️#werder#fcesvwpic.twitter.com/cI7tWy6fvF

— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) August 19, 2024

Keke Topp: “We started well in the first half and were able to create chances for ourselves early on. It’s possible to criticise us for waiting too long to start finishing our chances. In the second half, we weren’t in the game right away and it allowed Cottbus to up the pressure. Duckschi then set me up nicely to make it 3-0, allowing us to calm the game down again. We were able to control the majority of the game, deservedly won and are through to the next round. Next up, we can look ahead to Augsburg at the weekend.”

Leonardo Bittencourt: “It was a dominant performance from us. We approached the game the way we needed to. Cottbus didn’t get their league campaign off to a great start, so we knew that their confidence wouldn’t be too high. But, Cottbus is also always a tough place to come play. Today, we did a good job. As a team, we know each other well. There wasn’t any moment in the game where it looked as though we were in danger of losing control. We could have maybe looked a bit more calm when it came to playing it out from the back after we’d gone a man up. But, we got the job done and will look ahead to what’s next.”

Winning words from Werner ????️#werder#fcesvwpic.twitter.com/cI7tWy6fvF

— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) August 19, 2024

Keke Topp: “We started well in the first half and were able to create chances for ourselves early on. It’s possible to criticise us for waiting too long to start finishing our chances. In the second half, we weren’t in the game right away and it allowed Cottbus to up the pressure. Duckschi then set me up nicely to make it 3-0, allowing us to calm the game down again. We were able to control the majority of the game, deservedly won and are through to the next round. Next up, we can look ahead to Augsburg at the weekend.”

Leonardo Bittencourt: “It was a dominant performance from us. We approached the game the way we needed to. Cottbus didn’t get their league campaign off to a great start, so we knew that their confidence wouldn’t be too high. But, Cottbus is also always a tough place to come play. Today, we did a good job. As a team, we know each other well. There wasn’t any moment in the game where it looked as though we were in danger of losing control. We could have maybe looked a bit more calm when it came to playing it out from the back after we’d gone a man up. But, we got the job done and will look ahead to what’s next.”