Ljubicic on Köln's comeback win: "We just do our thing."
Germany's cathedral city club rolls into its first European week undefeated in the Bundesliga through five rounds.
Afterwards, one of Steffen Buamgart's five personnel changes on the day spoke to the Sky mics about how the team has managed to defy expectations.
Afterwards, one of Steffen Buamgart's five personnel changes on the day spoke to the Sky mics about how the team has managed to defy expectations.
| Dejan Ljubicic. | Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
Die Geißböcke were able to overcome a lighting fast goal from Lukas Nmecha that put the Autostädter ahead before two minutes had elapsed. Dejan Ljubicic - one of five changes to Steffen Buamgart's starting XI -grabbed the equalizer after the Effzeh spent twenty minutes gradually gaining traction.
"I never had the feeling that something would go horribly wrong today," Ljubicic told the Sky mics afterwards, "We never give up and can always turn a game around. There was a lot of variety to our our attack today. We do our thing, just like last season."
Ljbubicic was introduced to the XI along with Ondrej Duda, Florian Kainz, Timo Hübers and Steffen Tigges. Despite losing his initial two lead strikers from last season (Anthony Modeste to Dortmund and Sebastian Andersson to the self-imposed injured reserve), not to mention his preferred number ten Mark Uth to injury, Baumgart has made do with a rotating cast of characters in the attack;
Kainz and later Sargis Adamyan also scored for Köln on the day. Though the other goal came when Wolfsburg Paulo Otavio deflected the ball into his own net, it was certainly an earned tally as the approach play of the Domstädter was fluid and creative all afternoon.
"If you see how we play forward then this was a very deserved victory," goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe added in his own interview, "It was great to watch how we combined on those goals. We analyzed the opponent well. The coaches had us well prepared."
Ljubicic was sure to add that the he trusted the coaching staff 100 percent, saying that "every player knows what is expected of him." To this, head-coach Baumgart added that he definitely had role in mind for every last player.
"Everyone is important to us," Baumgart noted, "I saw [Denis] Huseinbasic come in and almost score a goal.But we draw on what we have. And the guys are giving it their all. And today we didn't just grind it out. We played well, too."
Assessing Köln during the pre-season, many wondered when the clarity in attack would come. If the team can continue finding success with these attacking rotations, clarity may not be so important as initially thought.