Mark Uth: “We want to make the most of this opportunity!”
Hi Mark! Hand on heart: Did you see last weekend playing out like it did?
Mark Uth: "Of course not. 1. FC Köln won against Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. Therefore, we rated Köln very highly heading into the game. We didn’t approach the game thinking ‘they’re second bottom and we can beat them easily’. The opposite was the case: We were prepared to give everything we had to win. To win 6-0, we didn’t expect it.”
Since then, have you had sympathy for the opposition?
Uth: “Everyone knows I come from Köln and played there. However, on the pitch, I’m professional and kept playing my game and wanted to score even when the result had been decided. We want to be successful and achieve our goals and, to do that, our goal difference needs to be as good as possible.”
You spent time with your family over Easter. Did you celebrate the win together?
Uth: "After the game, we had two days off and I spent them with my family. It was a lovely weekend.”
After the two goals and two assists against Köln, you’re now the top German goalscorer in the Bundesliga and in second place in the goalscoring charts behind Robert Lewandowski of Bayern. What does that mean to you?
Uth: “First of all, it’s great to help the team. That always puts a smile on my face. When it comes to the stats, it all seems to be snowballing. In my last three game, I’ve managed to get two goals and pick up four assists. I’m happy with that record for sure. However, I want to keep building.”
Some of the attacks and goals were sensational. A Mexican wave made its way through the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar Arena, How often do you work on build-up play or is it mostly intuition?
Uth: "We always have a plan that we want to implement together. It’s amazing when it pans out perfectly. Straight after our gegenpressing, we scored two or three goals. In the week, we work on that and, if it works like it did at the weekend, we’re all very happy with ourselves.”
Next up is the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt. It’s a big game as a win would see us overtake Frankfurt. What are your thoughts heading into the game?
Uth: “We want to take this opportunity. That’s our aim for this matchday. That’s what we’ve been working on in training this week.”
What will be necessary to take points from Frankfurt?
Uth: "We have to play just like we did last weekend. Being aggressive in our gegenpressing, playing attacking football and taking our chances that we get. It certainly won’t be as open of a game as the Köln game was. Therefore, we have to be clinical and take the initiative by scoring first. Then, we can relax into the game and try to get a second. If we take our first opportunity, I think we have a good chance of winning.”