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Marco Reus was delighted to help Borussia Dortmund return to winning ways against 1. FSV Mainz 05 following a four-match winless run in all competitions - © © imago / Thomas Bielefeld
Marco Reus was delighted to help Borussia Dortmund return to winning ways against 1. FSV Mainz 05 following a four-match winless run in all competitions - © © imago / Thomas Bielefeld

Reus: 'It's the first step in the right direction'

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Mainz - A battling 2-0 win over 1. FSV Mainz 05 was exactly what Borussia Dortmund needed following their demoralising 5-1 defeat to FC Bayern München prior to the international break.

Borussia Dortmund

bundesliga.com gets the players' take on Matchday 9's opening fixture...

Marco Reus: "The second goal was important because otherwise we would have got nervy at the back. We were camped really deep, so it was great when [Henrikh Mkhitaryan] scored. We had problems with our build-up play because Mainz were playing so well. We knew it’d be a battle and that we would have to win the second balls. At the end of the day, we’re very happy with the win. It’s the first step in the right direction."

Roman Bürki: "It was important for me after the game in Munich to keep calm and focus on my job. I think we managed to do that as a team today. We saw at the start that Mainz were really up for this game. They played very well, but we stuck to our guns and I’m very happy that we managed to win. I wouldn’t say the international break came at a great time for us, but we’re back on track now and I have a confident feeling about our upcoming games."

Sokratis Papastathopoulos: "We have to improve. Mainz had too many chances today. We have a very good understanding with the coach. He gives us confidence – he has done from the very beginning. We still have to improve in future, though, and make sure we don’t concede as many goalscoring opportunities. We have three great defenders. We’re all good players, so it doesn’t matter which of us is in the starting line-up."

1. FSV Mainz 05

Loris Karius: "We could definitely have got at least a point from this game. We played very well, but individual mistakes proved to be our undoing. We wanted to win the game. We usually do well on Friday nights and we wanted to continue our good run. We had no intention of hiding, but we conceded silly goals. It’s important for us to beat Bremen [on Matchday 10]. We’re at home again and it’s important for us to bounce back."

Danny Latza: "It was important for us to stay in the game [when Reus missed his penalty]. We played well over 90 minutes and had a lot of possession, but we misplaced a few too many passes and shot ourselves in the foot. We should have made the most of our chances."