Reactions: “If we keep up like this, things will be looking really good”

Lars Ricken (in the mixed zone): “This is no longer a moment we're having, instead it's a very good development towards consistency and stability. Our goal after the Club World Cup was to establish ourselves at the top right away and stay there – not like in previous years, when we had to play catch-up. So far, we’ve been very successful in that regard. But we also saw today that we can't afford any kind of drop in standards. Ten seconds before we scored the opener, Mainz could have been 1-0 up. Then it could have been a different game. As for Serhou (Guirassy, ed.), I don’t think it’s so bad that he’ll be out against Bilbao.”

Nico Schlotterbeck (on Sky): “It was much harder for me than last time around. Nevertheless, I’m happy to be back on the pitch. We kept a clean sheet for the fourth time, for me it was the second. The comeback was successful and we’re really happy to have secured the win here. We are looking very stable. Mainz only had one shot, which hit the post, in the first half, I was caught a bit off guard there. Jule (Julian Brandt, ed.) came on for Serhou (Guirassy) and set up two goals – congratulations! It was a really good team performance overall. We want to stay at the top for a long time. Bayern are setting the pace every week – it’s incredible. They score four goals every game. But our 13 points from five games is good. If we keep up like this, things will be looking really good.”

Karim Adeyemi (in the mixed zone): “I’ve played quite well for five games now. But you can’t say that’s consistency just yet. I definitely need more games like this. The most important thing is that we won, played confidently and didn’t concede a goal. It’s fun to play with this team – and when we win, it’s even better.”

Julian Brandt (in the mixed zone): “I had a bit of time to warm up. Sometimes it’s better not to think too much and just get started. I thought I couldn’t be thrown in at the deep end anymore, but today it was a bit like that. I know that when I’m brought on, I have a certain responsibility. We’re in a good phase just now and we want to continue our run. In the end, I’m glad that Serhou didn’t take any risks. We’re in a good position defensively at the moment. But we’ve also had a bit of luck on our side. I’m referring to the shot that hit the post today and the shot that hit the crossbar against Wolfsburg. And we’re extremely effective at the moment.”

Daniel Svensson (in the mixed zone): “It was a tough game, but I think we deserved the win in the end. Overall, we had a pretty solid game. The mentality is very strong at the moment. I feel like it’s difficult to play against us. And when we score first, it’s even more difficult, of course. We have a strong team and are performing well at the moment. I’m happy about my goal. When Greg (Kobel, ed.) chucked the ball, I saw that it would be a good opportunity for a counterattack. My job was to be in the right place.”Transcribed by Boris Rupert