Babbel: "I never thought we would lose the game"

Markus Babbel: “I'm pleased that the lads have been rewarded for their efforts. They never gave up and fought until the end of the match. We looked defensively solid and also managed to perform well in attack I never thought that we would lose the game today.”

Andreas Müller: “Today I saw a real desire to win the game. This fighting spirit and determination was exactly what we wanted to see today.”

Fabian Johnson: “We are delighted. It was a hard fought win. Of course, my goal was a bit fortunate but the most important thing was that we battled on. We didn't give them any chances and worked a few of our own, something that gave us confidence.”

Andreas Beck: “We are full of relief and joy. It's a huge burden that we've taken off both our shoulders, as well as those of our fans. Now we can look to push on in the week.”

Kevin Volland: “I tried to get involved in the game as soon as I was brought on. It's also pleasing to see our finishers put the ball in the back of the net. We must build on this performance.”

Mirko Slomka: “A deserved win for Hoffenheim. Neither side played well in the first half. Our game was very slow and we played without passion or heart. We did score the opener but then gifted them an equaliser. We looked even worse in the second half. We had no bite or commitment. We need to show more away from home than we did today.”

Match facts and statistics »