FIRST TEAM
11/27/2010

Match reaction against Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Hoffenheim battled their way to a point against Bayer 04 Leverkusen after a poor start to the match that saw them two goals down within the first 15 minutes. It was a high-class encounter and a thrilling match, but 1899 were able to collect a deserved point against the team they had never secured a point against before. Here is the reaction to the stunning game at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

Ralf Rangnick: There was a fifteen-minute period in the match when we weren't switched on. Starting like that, players like Sidney Sam will punish you. From the 20th minute onwards we were back in the match. The goal just before half-time was crucial as it allowed us to come out fighting in the second half with a higher tempo and more self-belief. We definitely earned our point today. Although it doesn't help our league position much, what this result will do for the players mentally is much more important than the win.

Jupp Heynckes: We've seen a great Bundesliga today. We had a fantastic start to the match and were playing some wonderful football. We're not happy with the second half though because we lost control of the match. Hoffenheim showed more determination were fighting for the ball. They seemed to be a lot more compact at the back than I've seen in previous matches and have a little more life about them. The draw was a fair result in the end.

Andreas Beck: We made it way too easy for Leverkusen at the beginning. We came into the game halfway through the first half and should have got ourselves back into the match sooner. Today, we wanted points and thanks to a great second half performance we have achieved our goal.

Sebastian Rudy: We started awfully. In the second half, though, we gave it everything we had. We're used to losing points late on in the match, but today was different as we were the ones to steal a point in the dying moments.

Stefan Reinartz: Not everyone understood the decision to give a penalty late on. This draw feels more like a defeat. Hoffenheim are a very strong team in their own stadium and have a very talented team, which they demonstrated today.

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