Moritz Nicolas spoke in an interview about his first two months as a goalkeeper in the Bundesliga and the team’s development.
Mo, you’ve made ten Bundesliga appearances for the Foals to date. How satisfied are you with your performances so far?
Nicolas: I enjoy every game that I get to represent Borussia in as much as the last. With every good match, I gain more confidence, control, and experience. I think this is reflected through my performances on the pitch, all of which I’m absolutely delighted with so far.
With a shot save rate of around 74%, you rank sixth among goalkeepers in the league. Does this statistic align with your own assessment?
Nicolas: It feels great to read these figures. I always try to do my best and play as well as I possibly can. In order for this to happen, we work hard every day with the goalkeeping team on the training pitch.
In the last home game against Wolfsburg, you kept a clean sheet for the first time. How good did that feel?
Nicolas: As a team, we go into every game with the goal of keeping a clean sheet. That’s why it felt even better to come away with one for the first time this season against Wolfsburg. For me as a keeper, achieving this is particularly special.
In the away game in Dortmund last weekend, you set your Bundesliga personal best with nine saves. Nevertheless, you conceded four goals there. How frustrating was that for you?
Nicolas: The game in Dortmund was a disappointment for us. We started really strong and deservedly went two goals ahead. Then, more or less out of nowhere, we conceded three goals in 15 minutes. That‘s extremely annoying for anyone, but things like that just happen in football. We have to move on from it and try to take away the positives from the game.
Borussia are currently sat in eleventh place with 13 points after a strong set of performances. How are you feeling about your results so far?
Nicolas: We didn't have an easy start to the season - partly due to our fixture schedule. I think the improvements we’ve made since our first few games have been very noticeable. We obviously would’ve hoped for one or two more points but, on the whole, we’re on the right track.
There are still four league games and the DFB-Pokal match against Wolfsburg on the schedule before the winter break. What are your plans for the rest of this half of the season?
Nicolas: We will try to continue our positive development and get the most out of the four Bundesliga fixtures in order to add more points to our tally.
TSG Hoffenheim, who have won 16 out of a possible 18 points away this season, will travel to BORUSSIA-PARK on Saturday. How do you plan on putting a stop to their successful streak?
Nicolas: Their results away so far this season have been quite remarkable. However, we will give it our all and try to get the three points at the BORUSSIA-PARK. We’ll definitely be in with a chance on Saturday with our amazing fans by our side.
