Marcel Schmelzer received applause for his performance against Paderborn when he was subbed off ten minutes before the final whistle, in order for young Jeremy Dudziak to gather some match practice. The Germany international was not always received as warmly this season but for several weeks now he has been injury free and his form has continually improved. The 27-year-old left back sat down with DFB.de after BVB's 3-0 home victory against SC Paderborn to talk about a busy week for the club.
DFB.de: Mr. Schmelzer, Dortmund struggled in the first half against Paderborn, before winning comfortably after a good performance in the second. What caused these problems in the first half?
Marcel Schmelzer: Obviously it wasn't the easiest game for us but overall we managed to play the way we had intended. We knew that it would very difficult against Paderborn, as they would likely sit deep and try to keep the score level for as long as possible. But we remained patient and gradually created our chances. Not that many in the first half, but in the second half we had quite a few. We just needed someone to break the deadlock.
DFB.de: And that was Henrikh Mkhitaryan…
Schmelzer: We created the first goal well and I'm really happy for Miki. Once you take a 1-0 lead at home, the opposition begins to open up and we can finally unfold our strengths in attack. The way the boys up front sparked things in the second half reminded me of our form from recent successful years.
DFB.de: You can say the same thing about your own performance. How would you explain your consistency in recent weeks?
Schmelzer: Before the second half of the season started I said that it was important for me to take part in the entire winter preparation. I was out for seven weeks during the first half of the campaign after breaking my hand. I was not in my rhythm but now I am. I was able to play in every game except against Hannover. I need to play regularly and I feel fully fit.
DFB.de: Hoffenheim are now just one point ahead of you in the standings in seventh place. Will you aim to at least finish in seventh place now?
Marcel Schmelzer received applause for his performance against Paderborn when he was subbed off ten minutes before the final whistle, in order for young Jeremy Dudziak to gather some match practice. The Germany international was not always received as warmly this season but for several weeks now he has been injury free and his form has continually improved. The 27-year-old left back sat down with DFB.de after BVB's 3-0 home victory against SC Paderborn to talk about a busy week for the club.
DFB.de: Mr. Schmelzer, Dortmund struggled in the first half against Paderborn, before winning comfortably after a good performance in the second. What caused these problems in the first half?
Marcel Schmelzer: Obviously it wasn't the easiest game for us but overall we managed to play the way we had intended. We knew that it would very difficult against Paderborn, as they would likely sit deep and try to keep the score level for as long as possible. But we remained patient and gradually created our chances. Not that many in the first half, but in the second half we had quite a few. We just needed someone to break the deadlock.
DFB.de: And that was Henrikh Mkhitaryan…
Schmelzer: We created the first goal well and I'm really happy for Miki. Once you take a 1-0 lead at home, the opposition begins to open up and we can finally unfold our strengths in attack. The way the boys up front sparked things in the second half reminded me of our form from recent successful years.
DFB.de: You can say the same thing about your own performance. How would you explain your consistency in recent weeks?
Schmelzer: Before the second half of the season started I said that it was important for me to take part in the entire winter preparation. I was out for seven weeks during the first half of the campaign after breaking my hand. I was not in my rhythm but now I am. I was able to play in every game except against Hannover. I need to play regularly and I feel fully fit.
DFB.de: Hoffenheim are now just one point ahead of you in the standings in seventh place. Will you aim to at least finish in seventh place now?
Schmelzer: I think that we've all at least said it once by now, but we want our coach to have a great farewell and with that I don't mean finishing seventh in the league – I mean the Cup final in Berlin. It will be difficult getting there but we owe him that for the seven great years that he spent here.
DFB.de: How did you experience the atmosphere out on the pitch in the first game after Jürgen Klopp announced his resignation? It felt a little bit weird or unusual in the stands.
Schmelzer: Yes, it was a little bit like that on the pitch as well. It was pretty quiet. Obviously I think that it's because our coach announced his resignation after this season, but it had already been a bit quiet in previous home games already, at least in the grand stands. The south stand is always loud and always in motion. But the rest? Perhaps this game was able to give a signal to the rest of our fans and support will be back to normal again soon.
