Andrej Kramaric: “I feel freer and better”

Andrej, let’s talk about your heel. Are you still having any problems with it?

Andrej Kramaric: It’s getting better and better. I had a lot more pain two months ago but now it’s all fine and isn’t holding me back in matches at all.

You wrote “Beauty of beauties” as a caption to your goal on Instagram. Was it the best one you have scored in your career?

Kramaric: It is definitely in the top three. I’ll certainly remember it. I still remember the other two very well. One of them I scored for HNK Rijeka in the Europa League against Lyon and the other for Croatia a few months ago against Ireland. All three went into the top-right corner. The goal I scored for Croatia was from slightly further out and was just a really hard shot, whereas my goal for Rijeka against Freiburg was very similar to the one against Freiburg. It was almost from the same position and I curled it in to the top corner.

You’ve scored eight goals and made seven assists so far this season. How satisfied are you personally with your season so far?

Kramaric: The numbers make for good reading but I am also convinced that they could be a lot better. Ultimately it is the success of the team that counts and that is something I am very pleased about in terms of how we have done as a group. I hope that that we can continue like this and win games like we did in Freiburg. Hopefully we’ll all be able to celebrate together at the end of the season.

You now face Leverkusen. How highly do you rate Bayer 04?

Kramaric: They’ve played really well in a lot of their Champions League games this season but they haven’t managed to keep up that consistency in the Bundesliga. You always have good and bad games. Hopefully they won’t have their best day against us because they are fundamentally a very strong team with a lot of quality. They also have a new head coach. All of their players will want to prove themselves and push themselves to their limits. It’s going to be a really tough game.

Your Croatia teammate Tin Jedvaj plays for Leverkusen. Have you guys been in contact this week?

Kramaric: Yes, we’ve messaged each other a bit. We’ll see if he plays. Wendell is suspended. I think that we’ll travel to the Croatia national team together after the game.

What is your objective in this match on Saturday?

Kramaric: Of course we want to get the three points but that will not be easy. Leverkusen are a very good side and they will demand everything from us. We need to work really hard to stop them and give it our all on the pitch, just as we have done brilliantly so far this season.

Kramaric’ goal against Freiburg has been nominated for goal of the week on matchday 24. 

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