"Asleep" during the first half

Union Berlin 2-1 Mainz 05

Niko Bungert: "Union just had that desire to win today. We were missing that for extended periods. Today was a prime example that average performances get you nowhere in the Bundesliga and we need to get back to the standards we have set in recent weeks if we are to continue to compete. We have been consistent in that regard for a while now but we just weren’t at it today. We can learn from this, though. Armindo came in for Jonny and took on the task well, creating chances for himself that he unfortunately couldn’t take. It was tough out there for us. We lacked the sharpness needed in the decisive moments. We had been doing the basics really well of late so gained confidence but we were missing that today and hope to have that back next week."

Stefan Bell: “The opening 20, 30 minutes cost us today, or at least they got us off on the wrong foot. We weren’t clever enough and Union just got the better of the decisive moments, which led to them taking the lead twice. That’s the worst thing that could have happened because that allowed them to do what they have been so good at for years. We got the ball forward, which is all you can do, but that end product was missing for us today.”

Nadiem Amiri: “We didn’t show enough today. We were aware of the difficulty of the challenge ahead of us but seemed to be asleep for the duration of the first half. The goals we conceded were very sloppy – Union just appeared to want it more. We played better after half-time even if we didn’t create major scoring chances. Let’s keep our heads up, though. We go again next weekend! It’s clear that everyone at Mainz 05 needs to work their socks off if we are to earn results. We are without Jonny at the moment and that told today from our lack of end product. For me personally, it was great to be back out on the pitch again despite the defeat. I love playing football and feel that bit fitter with the 90 minutes under my belt.”