Miron Muslic: This win feels fantastic

Miron Muslic:

We’ve shown we belong in the Bundesliga – which we already proved last week against FC Bayern. This win feels fantastic. It’s a moment everyone at FC Schalke 04 has been waiting a long time for. Winning at Union showed that last week’s performance wasn’t a one-off. The way we played from the first whistle to the last was very impressive. In the end, we deserved to come away with the win.

We knew what to expect in Berlin. They played a lot of long balls and we defended them extremely well. We were dangerous on the break and we used the ball well after regaining possession. We scored at good times, and we had chances to make it 2-0 before half-time. We then managed to do that straight after the restart. Having a two-goal lead made things a little easier for us from there. The players who came on made a real difference as well. There’s healthy competition for places in the squad, and that makes us better. This win was another step forward for us. We’re ready for the months ahead.

Mauro Lustrinelli:

We’re conceding too many goals at the moment. It keeps coming down to small mistakes, but there are too many of them and our opponents are taking advantage. We were too sloppy before half-time and made it too easy for Schalke. We gave everything in the second half, but at the moment we need too many chances to score.

Kenan Karaman:

Of course, that first win means a lot. We knew it would be difficult here. Overall, we put in an excellent team performance and scored three goals, so huge credit to the lads. The players coming off the bench keep giving us fresh energy too, which shows that every single player is going to be important for us. After a few weeks out, I was finally able to really contribute on the pitch again today. Against Union, we had to have more of the ball and we handled that well. We know our role as a promoted side and what’s required of us. But we don’t need to be intimidated by anyone.

Loris Karius:

It was a hard-fought win, but ultimately a deserved one based on the first half. We also started the second half very well and could have put the game to bed earlier. We were made to sweat towards the end, and after they pulled one back, we knew another spell of pressure was coming and that they would keep putting balls into our box. But we dealt with it well and had the bit of luck you need too. As a promoted side, you’re going to have to ride your luck at times in a game like this. But we had a clear plan, stuck to it and didn’t let anything knock us off course. When everyone does their job, you get days like today.