FIRST TEAM
08/09/2021

Baumgartner: "It was hard work"

Here's the player and coach reaction after TSG Hoffenheim's hard-fought 3-2 victory away to third-tier Viktoria Cologne in the DFB-Pokal first round.

Christoph Baumgartner: "It was a good game and the fans were finally back again. The lads are all good footballers and the home crowd naturally helps you to surpass yourself in a game like that. That allows you to go a little bit beyond your limit. Nonetheless, I think we deserved to win in the end. It was hard work and we certainly didn't do everything right, but we won the game and that's what counts in the end. We made the wrong decision a few times in decisive situations. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to play extra-time in Cologne. That said, the team must be commended. We've seen how difficult it's been for other Bundesliga teams in the DFB-Pokal."

Sebastian Hoeness: "I would like to congratulate Viktoria Cologne on a battling cup display. They demanded everything from us. But I must also praise my own team. We produced a good performance for long spells in the game. We had a great deal of chances that we didn't take. Our opponents were very effective. We need to get better in the penalty areas. At the end of the day, I believe the victory is highly deserved. It's all about getting through and we managed that. Now we need to dust ourselves down and keep going."

Olaf Janssen (Viktoria Cologne): "Everyone who was in the stadium enjoyed the game. We tried to give it a go and not just camp out at the back. There were many times where we won the ball back but did not see it through cleanly enough. I'm really proud of my team. At the end of the day, the quality of the Bundesliga team told. The match should give us strength for the coming weeks."

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