Borussia’s central defender speaks to the media about recovering from Covid, Yann Sommer’s wonder saves against Mainz and Saturday’s match against Fürth (15:30 CEST).
Nico, you had to watch the victory over VfL Bochum from your sofa after contracting Covid. How have you been since and how have you dealt with both the domestic and international games after your infection?
Elvedi: I’ve been doing really well since then. Luckily, I didn’t have any strong symptoms during my infection. But when you come out of quarantine having spent so much time in the house, you need a bit of time before you’re 100% again. I only played 60 minutes for Switzerland but I managed the full game against Mainz. That was very pleasing and I feel great.
How would you assess the point against Mainz?
Elvedi: I think a draw was a fair result. In the first half we were the better team and deserved to be 1-0 up at half time. After the break, Mainz were clearly the better team and we lost our grip on the game and ran out of legs. Since then, we have analysed the performance and we know what we need to do better next time. Obviously the aim is to play well for the full 90 minutes.
Yann Sommer, your Switzerland teammate, made some crucial saves against Mainz. Just how important is he for the team?
Elvedi: Yann is incredible. He not only made great saves against Mainz, but he has also stopped us dropping points all season. He is on top form for Borussia and for the national team. I think it’s great that I have such a good goalkeeper on my side. He is fantastic in goal, good with the ball at his feet and is great guy.
This weekend we face bottom side Fürth. What do you expect from the game?
Elvedi: We are playing away from home in front of what is likely to be a full stadium with a great atmosphere. It will certainly not be an easy game because Fürth have nothing to lose and they will give it everything. But our goal is clear. We want to get the three points. In the last three games we have picked up a decent seven points. We have to keep pushing on.
What will you need to do in Fürth in order to improve on the 1-1 draw against Mainz?
Elvedi: It will be a tough game and we need to be up for the challenge. If we play like we did in the first half against Mainz then we will have no cause for concern. We have lots of quality and are in good form, so I am confident we will win the match.
We have six games left this season, including fixtures against top teams like Leipzig, Freiburg and Hoffenheim. What is the aim as the season comes to a conclusion?
Elvedi: It’s hard to say. A few weeks ago, we were still in the middle of a relegation battle in which we had no room for error. I’m confident we won’t be dragged back into it but you still have to be cautious. We are looking ahead and we want to win our games. We also know that we can pick up points against the top sides because we are a good team. But we need to show that on the pitch.
