Lewandowski: “We can play even better“
Dortmund - A crushing victory, a new club record and another weekend at the top of the Bundesliga table. Matchday 5’s 6-2 win over Hamburger SV was a satisfying day indeed for Borussia Dortmund.
The Yellow-Blacks attacked Hamburg more or less non-stop in the second half and six goals from a total of 32 shots might even be considered a modest return.
Robert Lewandowski notched twice to take his tally to four for the season, and after the game, the 25-year-old announced his delight to be playing with such an able supporting cast in attack before casting an eye over Dortmund's opening fixture in the UEFA Champions League.
Question: Robert Lewandowski, it looks as though you and the team are enjoying yourselves a lot right now.
Robert Lewandowski: The season is really up and running now and I like playing every three days. Bundesliga, Champions League and the DFB Cup as well - I prefer all that than playing once a week.
Question: And if things continue to go as well as they did against HSV this weekend…
Lewandowski: Well we played really well and deserved to win by a comfortable margin. We could even have scored more than six goals if we had been a little more composed in front of goal, but we can be really pleased with the result as it is.
Question: Was there a moment of panic when Hamburg suddenly brought it back to 2-2?
Lewandowski: In that moment I did ask myself, “what’s going on here?” But I was always sure that we would get back in front. We were much better than them, and we took our foot of the gas at 2-0. But we knew we were good enough to win this game.
Question: Going forward, BVB looked irresistible at times. Were you yourself surprised at how well the team played in attack?
Lewandowski: We were really impressive. It’s easy to see that in Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, we have two attacking players of real quality. In fact, I think that from game to game we can play even better. Obviously, Micki and Auba still need a bit of time to properly integrate themselves into our style of play, but you saw today how good they are and how much they bring to our team. And as I said, I think we can play even better!
Question: Mkhitaryan is a different type of player to Mario Götze. As a striker, is that something to which you have had to adjust?
Lewandowski: Well obviously, every player has his own strengths and brings his own qualities to the table, so it’s normal in football that you have to make adjustments. I play the way I play, but as I said, Micki and Auba are two great players and we can all play together.
Question: With five wins from five, Dortmund are not only top of the league but have also set a new club record for the best start to a Bundesliga season.
Lewandowski: Five straight wins is fantastic for us, but we can make it six in the next game. The match in Nuremberg won’t be easy, we know that. But we have a chance of collecting another three points there. Hopefully we can keep this good start going and make it even better.
Question: Before that, BVB are in action in the Champions League away against SSC Napoli in the opening game of the group stages next Wednesday. What are you expecting from the encounter?
Lewandowski: It’s going to be difficult for us, as Napoli have a really good team. But I’m hoping that we can start the campaign off with a win. It would send out just the right signal for us. We don’t have to be worried, though. They’re a strong team, but so are we.
Question: How far do you think Dortmund can go in the Champions League this season?
Lewandowski: It will be tough and the other clubs won’t underestimate us. For me, I’d like another year like last season, and to maybe go one step further this time!
Dietmar Nolte reporting from Signal Iduna Park
