Undav reflects on hat-trick amid "all the talk"
VfB Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav was deservedly (and understandably) all smiles after recording a hat-trick in his side's 5-2 victory over Leipzig today.
After VfB Stuttgart dropped their first two matches in the new calendar year without talismanic striker Serhou Guirassy, de-factor starting center-forward Deniz Undav gleefully noted that was aware of all the "talk" surrounding his performances and his team. Undav may have done a more than serviceable job deputizing for the injured Guirassy earlier this year, but had yet to score since Guirassy left for the Guinean national team at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations. That changed today.
Stuttgart denied RB Leipzig a golden opportunity to overtake them in the league's top four. Undav scored a hat trick, pulling him up to fourth place on the Bundesliga scoring chart. With twelve league goals this season, Undav trails Leipzig's Löis Openda by only one tally. Only Guirassy, Openda, and Harry Kane have netted more league goals than the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee. The 27-year-old can again revive his hopes of potentially playing for the German national team.
"I don't think about it at all," Undav said when asked by the Sky mics if a call-up from Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann was on his mind, "I didn't score in the last few games, so there was a lot of talk. Now, luckily, I've scored three goals and maybe I can help the team with a goal next week."
"There's talk and shouting," Undav continued, "It was a very intense game for me. Leipzig scored two goals so we had to keep coming back. We did that, also thanks to the fact that Jamie [Leweling] scored his goal at the perfect time."
Undav's interviewer concluded the session by asking whether or not the player would commemorate the occasion by keeping one of the match balls as a souvenir. With a smile, the surprise scoring sensation answered in the affirmative.
"It [the ball] is with the ref," he gleefully noted, "I'll have to go back and have a word with him."