Neuhaus: “We want to show that we’re firing on all cylinders”

Florian Neuhaus speaks about his debut with the national team, the upcoming home game against VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia’s Champions League opponents.

Flo, what did the call up and debut for the national team mean to you?

Neuhaus: It was very special to be called up to represent my country and go on and play, I really enjoyed it. And of course it was great to score a goal straight away – I think you could see in my celebration that I was delighted. It was a great feeling and a really well-created goal. Unfortunately we didn’t win the game, but it was still a really nice moment for me.

Were you nervous ahead of kickoff?

Neuhaus: The coach had told me beforehand that I was going to play, so I was able to prepare myself. I was definitely a little nervous, but I think that’s a good thing. A little tension and nerves are part of it, and that helps you concentrate.

How would you rate your first ever performance for Germany?

Neuhaus: I was pleased with it. Like I said, I would have liked to win the game, which would have made my debut even better. However, it was still great to have scored a goal. It was a little bit frustrating that the tackle on me leading up to the goal we conceded wasn’t penalised.

Let’s talk about Borussia. What do you make of the start to the season?

Neuhaus: I think we can improve. It was very important that we won the game against Köln because we’ve properly started the season now. It was our first victory of the season and we want to carry straight on against Wolfsburg. We want to show that we’re firing on all cylinders.

Do you look at the table at such an early point in the season?

Neuhaus: I don’t look directly at the table, but I look at the number of points that we could have won. It’s important that we’re picking up points. Against Wolfsburg we have the chance to get three more.

What kind of game are you expecting against Wolfsburg?

Neuhaus: Last season showed that Wolfsburg are a very aggressive side and they’ve added some good players. We need to be prepared. We want to play our game and play to our strengths.

Your first Champions League game is next week. What do you have to say about your group of Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk?

Neuhaus: You can say we’ve been dealt a great hand – we’re up against some great sides, but we shouldn’t shy away from them. I think we can get something from the group and we’re looking forward to starting our campaign away at Inter Milan.

What are you expecting from the game?

Neuhaus: You saw in the Europa League that Inter Milan are a great side with some very good individual quality and we have to be ready. We want to test ourselves against the best and are looking forward to the game.