Reus: "We played brilliantly"
Dortmund - Marco Reus was the undoubted hero as Borussia Dortmund bounced back in style from last week's surprise defeat at home to Hamburger SV with a rousing 3-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The German international struck a sensational hat-trick against the promoted high-flyers and, while he made sure to grab the matchball at the final whistle, Reus insisted it was a team effort after both sides were reduced to ten men in a typically action-packed Bundesliga encounter.
Question: Marco Reus, it's not every day you score a hat-trick. Was that one your first?
Marco Reus: No, I've done it before in the Bundesliga. When I was at Borussia Mönchengladbach I scored three in one game against Werder Bremen. I didn't get to take home the matchball back then, but I did this time.
Question: You certainly earned it - you were man of the match...
Reus: Everyone played their part in our win over Frankfurt, so we shouldn't speak too much about me. The win is a victory for the team. We played brilliantly and deserved to win. We're a team and each player is happy for the other if he scores.
Question: More often than not, you're the man to put BVB in front. That's now the seventh time this season you've fired your side ahead in the Bundesliga. What's that down to?
Reus: Honestly, I've got no idea. Against Frankfurt I received two fantastic through-balls - first from Mario Götze and then from Mats Hummels. I don't think too much in front of goal. I simply try to stick the ball in the net.
Question: The game was obviously a real highlight for you, but for Julian Schieber it was a bit of a nightmare following his sending-off.
Reus: Absolutely. I felt really sorry for him - it was a real shame. He's waited a long time for his chance and trained hard for the game. We had to give a lot more after his sending-off to win the game for him. Fortunately, we know all about playing with a man down at home this season.
Question: Even with a man down, BVB have rarely looked so strong. With ten men you were clearly well on top.
Question: We've learned how to cope with a sending-off and how to play with ten men. Julian's dismissal meant we had to play with ten men for the second match on the bounce. In the past we've lacked patience, but this time it was completely different. The fact we led 2-0 at the time of the sending-off made it easier.
Question: What are the instructions for dealing with a sending off then?
Reus: We wanted to go in at the break without conceding. That was the main thing and it worked. At half-time we got together in the dressing room and spoke about what we needed to do without Julian. Being a man light, we had to stand firm defensively and stay very compact. At the same time, we kept creating good chances going forward and the third goal in the 65th minute turned the game in our favour. After that, the result was effectively in the bag.
Question: How important was it to beat Frankfurt?
Reus: The win was really important for two reasons. Firstly, it puts distance between ourselves and Frankfurt, who are a really strong side. And then it was the perfect response following last weekend's defeat at home to Hamburg. We showed that we can win at home, but we can't stop here. We have to push on in our next game against Gladbach.
