Following the 2-0 defeat against Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League, Christoph Kramer sat down to discuss his assessment of the match, the Citizens’ dominance, and the return leg.
Chris, you and the Foals lost to a very dominant Manchester City team last night. What are your thoughts on the game?
Kramer: Obviously we’re disappointed. I think that from the spectators’ point of view, it would have looked like a very tough game. We had periods where we pressed well, but they almost always resulted in something positive for City. They’re just so good at keeping hold of the ball. You can’t press them too high because they can play it back to Ederson, who can pass it straight to his teammates’ feet over distances of 80 metres. That’s why it’s so difficult to press against a team like that. We tried to sit deep and defend and managed to create some good chances, particularly in the second half. Unfortunately for us, they just came to nothing.
What do you think you could have done better?
Kramer: You need to have a very good day if you want to beat Manchester City. You have to keep cool if you want to make the half counterattacks work to your advantage, and then play through the press to enable spaces to open up that will give you opportunities. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage that, although we had several chances where we could have done so. That’s why it looks like such a one-sided 2-0 defeat.
Did you think it was a one-sided game?
Kramer: At the end of the day, you have to give credit to Manchester City for a great performance and a great result for them. They made us work very hard, especially at the end when we were getting tired. But we did create opportunities and not just those where we managed to get a shot away, but also those where we lost the ball just beforehand.
How do you rate your chances of beating City in the second leg?
Kramer: Our chances of advancing past City were not high to begin with, but we’ve experienced a lot in football and it’s sometimes good to play with nothing to lose. That’s how we’ll approach the game in three weeks’ time.
How did it feel to be playing a ‘home’ game in a foreign stadium in Budapest?
Kramer: It felt like a normal away game in the Puskás Aréna, but we knew it would beforehand. Nevertheless, the stadium in Budapest is very nice and the conditions were good. We're happy that we were allowed to play there.
