Burkardt: "We knew we had to be aggressive today"

HEIDENHEIM 0-2 MAINZ 05

Niko Bungert: “It was an outstanding performance from the team. We were up for the challenge, creating more and more chances as the game went on while also giving away very little. We remained focused and ultimately showed a great deal of quality. Jonny and Nelly were fantastic, as was Paul. We know that Jonny is difficult to replace and we find it a lot smoother sailing when he’s available. It is good fun being up there towards the higher end of the table which provides additional motivation. We deserve to be up there, which gives us confidence and makes us hungry for more.”

Nelly Weiper: “Playing up top with Jonny worked a treat. He scored the first and then set me up for the second. Despite that, it was nervy towards the end and we needed to be tough in the tackle and show more desire in order to get the win. Playing with a front three provided fresh impetus today and did us good. I also have to say a big thank you to the fans who gave such unbelievable support for a late kick-off in Heidenheim!”

Jonny Burkardt: “Today felt like a dream, being back out on that pitch with the lads after so long out. It was great fun playing up front next to Nelly, which is something we’ve had to wait to be able to do but it proved effective today. 35 points is a great tally and I hope we can continue to be up there in the table. We knew we had to be aggressive today but going 1-0 up was important for our confidence. Nevertheless, at the end of each half, we sat too deep and came under pressure because of that. The two goals made sure we were rewarded for a good performance, though. It was agreed beforehand that I would just play the 60 minutes but I hope to be back to full fitness in a few weeks’ time.”