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Kenan Karaman: Small mistakes made the difference
Miron Muslic, Soufiane El-Faouzi and Kenan Karaman spoke to the media after the 1-0 defeat at 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday (9/8).
Miron Muslic:
We did a lot of things very well today, particularly in terms of our defensive shape and stability. Up until the penalty, we’d only allowed them two real chances, which says a lot about our defensive work. Kaiserslautern have a very strong side that can generate huge momentum here at the Betzenberg, and we managed to keep that in check. The penalty was the right call and was put away confidently for 1-0, which gave them an extra lift. The boys gave everything right until the end. Kaiserslautern defended well and with passion. We’re a tough side to play against, and we want to keep it that way.
Torsten Lieberknecht:
We wanted to stand up to them today, and we managed to do that. The team were willing to go the distance in every aspect. Defensively, we were very secure, and going forward we showed improvements and played with clearer structure in possession. Overall, it was a very strong performance at the back and we’re delighted with the win.
Soufiane El-Faouzi:
It was a game with lots of long balls and second balls – constant back and forth from both sides. From my perspective, a draw would have been a fair result for both teams. The penalty came at a bad time for us and ultimately decided the match. Overall, it was a solid defensive display by us. As was the case against Hertha, we need to make more of our chances in future – then we’ll get our rewards.
Kenan Karaman:
On a personal note, it was a great feeling to be back out on the pitch with the team. Unfortunately, we lost the game in very unlucky fashion. I think a draw would have been the fairer result. In the end, small mistakes made the difference. We’ll keep going and won’t let our heads drop. In the coming weeks, we need to be more clinical up front and execute our patterns better so we can create more chances. Going forward, it wasn’t enough today, but defensively we were solid for long spells.
