"We can’t be so passive"

Köln 2-1 Mainz

Niko Bungert: “We’re disappointed. The first half was all us, the second all Köln. Had we made it 2-0 before the break, things would have been a lot more difficult for Köln. We could have celebrated a comeback in the second half with that Sieb chance as well. It’s unfortunate, but at the end of the day, Köln deserved to win. This won’t throw us off track, though, despite the disappointment we’re all feeling. We were simply overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the stadium – we just couldn’t catch a break.”

Daniel Batz: “When you take the lead here, you have to leave with something. Unfortunately, we missed our chance to score a second goal before the break, then after the break we didn’t really create much with the ball. We did have chances after the equaliser, but it’s clear we can’t be so passive after taking the lead. I don’t really have an explanation right now. We wanted to keep pushing for that second goal. The defeat hurts.”

Stefan Bell: “The tank simply ran out.  The substitution at the end of such a busy week was purely a precaution. The goal was great and I’m proud of it. It was a great first touch. Unfortunately, it didn’t get us any points. We all know Ragnar Ache; it’s not impossible to win duels against him, but we didn’t do that enough, nor did we put enough pressure on our opponents. We lacked momentum and gave up too many chances. The equaliser was extremely tough to take, as the stadium was just getting a bit restless after half time. There was a more even phase towards the end and Armindo had a massive chance. They then went and made it 2-1 almost straight away. We were so close, but we just need to weather those periods of pressure and not just sit back and defend. A week of training will do us good now, as will the return of some of the players who have been out with illnesses.”