Vogt: "We want that historic victory"

Kevin, you put together a winning run in the Bundesliga this autumn. You have some important tasks on the national and international stage in what is left of this year, what are your objectives?

"We've improved considerably in the league, we obviously want to keep that going. We want to build on that in order to establish ourselves towards the top by the winter – then many things are possible. Our maximum objective must be to qualify for the Champions League again. We have the potential to do so and I think you should think big. If you don't do that, you won't go very far. That's how we'll approach the remainder of the season. We all now know what it means to be able to play in the UEFA Champions League: that it's a privilege and that the atmospheres and the stadia are extraordinary. For us players, and for the fans as well, it's something special, which is why we're aiming to qualify once more. And this season too, we naturally want the adventure to continue beyond December."

You've played well in the previous four games but you haven't got a win yet...

"The match in Lyon was pure mentality. The fact we managed to come back was a great performance and it keeps our chances of progressing alive. But yes, we're still missing the three points. We've delivered good performances on the big stage but haven't yet got our reward in the form of a win. Now we want to change that at home to Shakhtar and finally get that historic victory."

"The results are down to the quality of the opposition"

You've let leads slip, come from behind, scored late goals and conceded them too. Do you think your current points haul is deserved or is the prevailing feeling one of frustration about the results?

"The results are down to the quality of the opposition. It's the top international level, you can see that from the chance conversion: our opponents – even if they don't have much of a foothold in the game – need two chances to score twice. That's the big difference, even compared to the Bundesliga. There you can be punished too, but some teams do miss those chances from time to time. So far in the UEFA Champions League we've been mercilessly punished for every mistake, it's happened straightaway each time. That's a learning process. But even though we should've claimed the win in the first meeting with Shakhtar, you could see towards the end what kind of power they can bring to the table. The feelings are mixed: the fact we came back in Lyon with 10 men was crazy and the reward for a performance where we sacrificed a lot. I'm proud of the team for the way that we fought and still managed to get a point that keeps us in with a chance of finishing in second place."

Yet there was an air of discontent immediately after the 2-2 draw in Lyon. Why were you not satisfied in the moments after securing that hard-fought point?

"We really wanted to get the three points before the game to keep our chances of progression in our own hands. We don't like it when we can't decide our own fate, you could see that after the game. In hindsight, you can definitely say that we were very negative in the changing rooms directly after the match. But that also shows nobody is easily satisfied here and that there are very high expectations throughout the team. And that's the characteristic that drives us forward. But we could've afforded to be a little proud after that intense battle and coming back from 2-0 down to draw with 10 men."

As the captain and defensive linchpin, you're an important pillar of the team. How do you reflect on your first season in the UEFA Champions League?

"You can already see that the strikers have immense quality. At City, but also Lyon have players of quality in Fekir or Depay and Shakhtar have attacking players such as Taison or Marlos. You're up against players of a high calibre. But it's incredibly good fun and I've seen that I can compete at this top level. You want to measure yourself against the best and that's why I think it's fantastic that we're playing on this stage. Aside from the mistake in the home game against Lyon, I think I can be positive about my own performances. But I'm the kind of person who doesn't get annoyed about that sort of error until afterwards. In the game I can quickly move on and continue to play passes – even risky ones. I need to keep going like that, that's what's helped make me strong in the Champions League."

"We're extremely motivated"

What are you expecting from the home game against Shakhtar and how do you assess the opposition?

"There was already a final atmosphere in Lyon and that'll be the case again. We know that we'll stay in Europe over the winter if we win, that was our minimum objective. Furthermore, that'd keep alive our chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League in Manchester on the final matchday. We're extremely motivated and saw in the first fixture that we're capable of creating lots of chances against Shakhtar – but we also saw the kind of offensive power they have. It'll be a real battle, but I'm very optimistic that we'll get TSG's first-ever victory in the UEFA Champions League."

Do you feel pressure or motivation?

"For me, it's only positive pressure. Pressure is always good, even if some players perhaps see it differently. Let's not forget that we're playing in the Champions League – and that we can and should enjoy it: because we worked hard to get here and it's a reward for the way we performed last season. That's why we should rise to the situation, have fun in the process and go into the game with a smile on our faces, rather than letting it get to us for days."

The spectators are equally excited about the game. Do you have a message for them?

"I'm sure that the fans will approach the atmosphere like a knockout tie, exactly as we will on the pitch. And if we manage to do that together – them in the stands and us on the pitch – then we'll get that historic victory in the Champions League. The spectators have supported us phenomenonally both home and away so far and we want to join forces with them to ensure that we have a few more special nights in Sinsheim ahead of us. We'll do everything we can and are looking forward to it."

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