Borussia Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini on Bundesliga title race: 'Now we don't have a choice'
Borussia Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini was on the losing side in a captivating Klassiker against Bayern Munich on Matchday 24. He sat down to reflect on the encounter and to discuss what lies ahead for the Black-Yellows...
Bundesliga: Ramy, we're speaking to you following Klassiker defeat to Bayern, a thrilling encounter between two top sides. Having had time to reflect, how do you assess the match?
Ramy Bensebaini: “Well, we knew it was going to be a very difficult match. This game would obviously make or break our season, even if there are still games left to play. But it was clearly a match we really wanted to win. We started the match well and scored first. After that, well, it’s Bayern. It was a very difficult, very tight match. They managed to score from the few chances they had, and they deserved it. We didn't deserve to lose, they also deserved to win. So it was a good, tight match."
Watch: Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich - highlights
Bundesliga: Captain Emre Can suffered a season-ending injury in the encounter. How important is he to the team?
Bensebaini: “He is listened to in the dressing room by the coaches and by the players. His place in the dressing room and in the team is really important. So it’s a real loss for the team. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope that he is back quickly."
Bundesliga: Dortmund were also knocked out of the UEFA Champions League last Wednesday by Atalanta, with yourself getting sent off deep into stoppage time. How do you manage to mentally bounce back after a difficult week?
Bensebaini: “I don’t do anything special. I let time do its job. Honestly, I had a slightly complicated week. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. So I just try not to look at social media and just clear my head."
Bundesliga: What is the objective over the coming matches now that a lead has opened up at the top of the table?
Bensebaini: "We simply have to try to win as many points as possible and hope that Bayern drop points. Now we don’t have a choice, we must win all remaining matches. We’ll see what happens.”
Bundesliga: In what areas do you think the team can still improve?
Bensebaini: “Honestly, in all areas. Defensively, we have to give fewer chances away. In attack, we have to create more chances and be more clinical in front of goal. I think we can improve in all areas. That’s what we are doing now compared to the start of the season. If we can improve on every level, we will do it.”
Bundesliga: Only Bayern (18) have scored more than your 17 goals from set pieces this season, with the team finding the back of the net from a free-kick in Der Klassiker. How do you train for such situations under Niko Kovač?
Bensebaini: “We do much more video work. We try to practice it on the pitch, but sometimes we don’t really have time because there are other things to work on. We started this work with Alex [Clapham] and now we are continuing and maintaining it with Robert [Kovač]. For now, it’s working quite well."
Watch: The art of the set piece
Bundesliga: It is currently Ramadan, which you observe as a Muslim. Is this period difficult for players like yourself, and do you feel less energy at this time?
Bensebaini: “I wouldn’t say difficult. You just have to find a balance between training, rest and especially recovery. I don’t find it complicated. It depends on the person and on the body.
"At the beginning of Ramadan I feel a little bit tired because I’m not used to it. I need a few days to adapt. But I don’t find it complicated, especially since the matches I have played so far were after the time to break the fast, so I didn’t really have a problem with that.”
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