Sommer: "We defended passionately and pushed for the point”

After the 1-1 draw in Munich, goalkeeper Yann Sommer spoke about the keys to taking a point home against the reigning champions, his outstanding performance and breaking a Bundesliga record.

After the 1-1 draw in Munich, goalkeeper Yann Sommer spoke about the keys to taking a point home against the reigning champions, his outstanding performance and breaking a Bundesliga record.

Yann, one day on, how do you assess that point in Munich?

Yann Sommer: Very positively, it's a great point for us. We made a lot of plans beforehand and wanted to take some points from the game. Naturally, you will suffer in a game like that and we prepared for wave after wave of Bayern attack. That’s because – and we don’t have to beat around the bush – Bayern are in top form and are one of the best teams in Europe, but we defended with passion and pushed forward against them.

How does a match like that feel for you, when attack after attack comes your way?

Sommer: Incredibly intense. You have to be 100% focused, every second, for 95 minutes, all while supporting one another. Defensive tactics have to be spot on at all times to maintain compactness. Against a team of Bayern’s quality, it’s not always possible to do that all of the time, but we did extremely well all things considered and held out until the very end.

You played a big part in that – making 19 saves, and breaking the Bundesliga record. How does such a stat make you feel?

Sommer: Well I actually prefer when I have less to do! But if my saves are what’s helping the team get a point in Munich, I’m happy. I'm just pleased that we're still on the right track. The way I work together with the defence is also very important for my goalkeeping. For example, if a centre-back has already covered one corner of the goal, I can easily cover the other side, as that will be the only option for the shooter. These are the details that have to come together – and the defence is doing an excellent job of that.

Bayern equalised late on, but had enough time to potentially score again in injury time. How did you react in those final minutes?

Sommer: It was extremely important that we didn't collapse after conceding the goal. We had fought tooth and nail in this game, and then Bayern score and you know what will happen – they’ll give their all for a winner. But we fought until the very end, because we wanted to come away with something. We worked for a deserved draw, though of course there’s some luck involved in the point.

One gets the feeling that the team is playing with more confidence this season. What is the reason behind this?

Sommer: Of course, on the one hand, it’s the results we’re picking up at the moment. But you also gain self-confidence from your day-to-day work on the training pitch. Believing in your own ability is incredibly important. In the Bundesliga, you have to be completely confident in everything you do on the pitch; and that was the case in Munich. The manager told us beforehand to have confidence in ourselves. We were very efficient yesterday. You don’t get many opportunities against Bayern and we took one that we got. 

Since 2011, Borussia have taken 32 points from their games against Bayern, more than any other side in the league. Do you think this aura as a ‘bogey team’ does something to the Bayern team?

Sommer: I simply think that we’re a good side that can often pose a difficult challenge to big teams like Bayern. The challenge for us is to consistently produce these good performances against other opponents with different styles of play. There are other encounters in which we dominate possession and so these are completely different games.

Yesterday, you set another record. You have now played the most Bundesliga games of any Swiss player in history, with 266 appearances. You’ve replaced Ciriaco Sforza at the top of the list.

Sommer: I’m honoured. 266 is a huge number. When I came here eight years ago, I never thought I’d play so many Bundesliga games. And I know Ciriaco Sforza well; he was my coach with Switzerland for a while. Being able to replace him makes me proud.

After yesterday’s match, you celebrated the point with all the Borussia fans that made the journey. What was that like?

Sommer: We didn’t want to celebrate too much as we didn’t win the game. But after such an intense game, in which we gave our absolute all, and in front of 6,000 fans who travelled all the way to Munich, you can celebrate a bit more than usual. And we didn’t overdo it! (laughs)