Rose, Schlager, and Blaswich reflect on unbeaten run: "Second place feels really awesome."
By Peter Vice @ViceytheSS
RB Leipzig were able to cap their calendar year with a 13-match-unbeaten run across all competitions following a 2-1 win over SV Werder Bremen.
After what was a hard-fought victory, head-coach Marco Rose, game-winning goal-scorer Xaver Schlager, and back-up keeper Janis Blaswich offered their thoughts on the rise to second-place in the Bundesliga table.
After what was a hard-fought victory, head-coach Marco Rose, game-winning goal-scorer Xaver Schlager, and back-up keeper Janis Blaswich offered their thoughts on the rise to second-place in the Bundesliga table.
| Janis Blaswich | Steffen Prößdorf CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
"As expected, it was difficult game here against a strong opponent," RB trainer Marco Rose noted in post-match interview with Sky's German outfit, "I think we did well in the first half and deserved to take the lead. Still, we had to be careful as hell not to concede the equalizer."
The gritty Hanseatic hosts were able to equalize once in the match. The fixture might have ended in a 1-1 draw were it not for an exceptional goal from midfielder Xaver Schlager. The Austrian international, who has been in an amazing run-of-form during the team's current run, did an incredible job outmuscling a tight-marking Niklas Stark before supplying a strong finish in the 71st.
"It was another difficult game, but we stayed mentally strong and won it," Schlager told his Sky interviewer "I'm glad I could help with my goal, but in the end it's a team win."
Rose also specifically praised his team for holding off Bremen and keeping their bearings. Another Leipzig player who did his bit to preserve the lead, back-up net-minder Janis Blaswich, also spoke to Sky. The 31-year-old journeyman has been filling in for injured squad captain Peter Gulacsi during most of the current unbeaten run.
"Second place feels really awesome," the veteran who, prior to this season, hadn't even played in Germany's top footballing flight, "When you have a run like this, you'd love to play through the winter, but we can recover now, recharge our batteries and then we'll have at it again in January."