Ko Itakura on his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia, the Bundesliga opener against FC Augsburg and the upcoming home match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Ko, well done again on your first Bundesliga goal for Borussia. How pleased were you about it?
Ko Itakura: Thank you so much. I’m really pleased that I could help the team with my goal in Augsburg. But of course it would have been better if we’d won the game in the end. I believed until the final whistle that something was possible for us. I’ve never lost a game in which I’ve scored.
The 4-4 in Augsburg was an emotional rollercoaster. How do you feel about the draw to start the season?
Itakura: We started the game very well and led by two goals twice – of course it was also our intention to win the game. It’s a shame that we still didn’t earn three points. But it was only the first match of the season and a difficult away game. Therefore, we’ll take the point and be happy with it. We’re staying positive and now focusing fully on the next game.
How much does it bother you as a defender to concede four goals and what do you have to work on the coming weeks?
Itakura: Four goals conceded is too many. For us it’s about working on our communication on the pitch. Also, we can’t allow ourselves to feel secure when we’re ahead and have ourselves scored, and we have to stay defensively stable. Finally, we can’t assume we’re always going to score four goals ourselves.
The Foals’ first home game takes place next Saturday at 18:30 CEST. BORUSSIA-PARK will be full and you’re facing a difficult opponent in Bayer Leverkusen. What are you expecting from this match?
Itakura: We’re very excited for the first home game of the new season. The fans are also full of anticipation and expectation for the new campaign. Therefore, we definitely want to start well and get our first home win. We do though expect a difficult task – Leverkusen are very strong opponents. Despite that, we want to set the foundations for a successful season with a good game.
Leverkusen are considered by experts as dark horses for the title. What will you need to do in order to keep the points here in Mönchengladbach on Saturday?
Itakura: Leverkusen have an incredibly strong team with a lot of individual quality and strong attacking players. For us it’s about performing well offensively from a stable defence and showing willingness to run and fight. Our big advantage is that we’re playing at home and have the fans behind us.
