“That was only the first half – we need to do the same again next week.”

1. FSV MAINZ 05 2-0 RC STRASBOURG

Niko Bungert: “That was really fun. We’ve had a lot of good performances over the past few weeks, but that might be the best of the lot. We were the better team from the start, dangerous going forwards and solid defensively. Apart from the spell when they had three chances in a row – which you have to expect when playing a team with as much quality as Strasbourg – we defended fantastically. We showed we can do a great job against a team with outstanding individuals. We have a certain confidence and were brave on the ball. We’re happy with the position we’re in. We’ve only done half the job, though. We need to put in the same performance in the second leg if we want to make it to the next round.”

Stefan Posch: “Respect to the team and the coaching staff for how we were prepared and how we approached the game. We played as maturely and as composed as we had planned. We got off to a great start and dominated the first half. I was surprised that I was so free for the corner. We practised it yesterday, so it’s nice that it worked out so well. I struck the ball well. We had chances to make it 3-0, but Strasbourg also had good opportunities in the second half. We’re happy with the 2-0 win. We know that nothing is decided yet. It will be a tough match in Strasbourg.”

Paul Nebel: “I think Kaishu has been underestimated for a long time. He’s so good for the team, wins so many duels, and now he’s also extremely dangerous going forward. We’re glad to have him. I think we played a good game. Strasbourg had more possession, but that was expected. We allowed few chances and kept winning the ball, which made us dangerous on the counter. We were also good from set pieces. We could have done better on a couple of occasions. All in all, it was a great performance that we want to build on going into the game at the weekend and then the second leg in Strasbourg.”

Danny da Costa: “That was a great performance from us. We did what we set out to do. We didn’t want to let them hit us after we lost the ball, or give them chances to use their undeniable quality. It was about playing as a team, making sure they didn’t get too much space and avoiding too many one-on-ones. We tried to embrace the occasion of playing in a European quarter-final. We wanted to show that joy and enthusiasm we’ve built up over the past weeks from the very beginning. In doing so, we took a bit of the sting out of their game. That was only the first half – we need to do the same again next week.”