Niklas Süle: “We know what awaits us'

Niklas, what went wrong there against Ingolstadt?

Niklas Süle: A lot went wrong. I think that Adam was directly in front of me and the ball glanced off him. I couldn’t react quickly enough, even though the ball trajectory was only altered by centimetres. The ball sort of fell on my ahead and I turned to see that it was in, and thought “Oh no, my first own goal.” I also don’t know what I could have done about it. The situation annoyed me and I don’t want that to happen again, once is enough. I’m happy that in spite of that, we still won.

How relieved were you when Adam equalised at 2-2 almost instantly?

Süle: Of course, I was so relieved – not just me, but the whole team. Just like that we were back in the game and we had a good feeling that we could snatch even more goals.

Through 57 Bundesliga games through this season and the last, you’ve missed exactly two games and a half. How important is this consistency for you?

Süle: I was hurt for two games and was substituted shortly before the half in the other. It’s a stat that I can say I’m proud of. It shows that I’m fit and that I can bring my game every week on the pitch. That’s important to me. At TSG, I’ve always received a chance. I’m 21, so it’s no guarantee that I will always be on the pitch. Playing every week has helped my development massively.

That leads on nicely to the fact that you played your 100th Bundesliga game for Hoffenheim against Hertha at the end of March. Does that make you proud?

Süle: That is indeed something special. If someone were to say to me in my youth that I would have made my 100th Bundesliga appearance at the age of 21, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Without the ligament tear, it could have come sooner, since I was out a few months at the start of 2015. But 100 is definitely a large number. I think that makes me a seasoned player, which is great.

For the moment you're focused on 8th placed Freiburg. Are you ready to play your neighbours in the Southwest?

Süle: They’re having a strong season, with 33 points already under their belts. I think, in part, they've exceeded even their own expectations, but they deserve to have done so. I watched the game the past week against Frankfurt: They did have some luck in one or two decisions, but they also played a great game. It’s really hard to win at Frankfurt, and they pulled it off. We all know what awaits us in Freiburg. We know the stadium and the atmosphere. Nonetheless, I’m sure we’re prepared. We will travel to Freiburg intent on claiming all three points.

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