Oliver Baumann: “We have to be more aggressive”

Oli, you are set to make your 200th Bundesliga appearances. What does this number mean to you?

Oliver Baumann: It’s a small milestone in my career. By winning promotion to the Bundesliga and qualifying for the Europa league I’ve already achieved and experienced quite a lot. I hope I can add to my number of appearances and if I carry on like this I will.

Can you remember your first match?

Baumann: Very well in fact. I won 3-1 playing for SC Freiburg under Robin Dutt against Borussia Dortmund. It was the 34th match of the season and neither team really had anything to play for. At the time I was still second-choice goalkeeper behind Simon Pouplin. I got to play on the last day of the season. I was really nervous but it went well and we won the match.

When did you realise that you had established yourself at Bundesliga level?

Baumann: To start with I was second-choice goalkeeper for one and a half years. I observed the other goalkeepers a lot during the matches and always said to myself: “I’m also good enough to play in the Bundesliga like them.” I worked really hard to get where I am and was also lucky to gain the manager’s trust. I’m very grateful for that. I got there gradually and now I’m first-choice goalkeeper.

Who is better – the Oliver Baumann from the 2010/11 season or the Oliver Baumann of today?

Baumann: Of course today’s version is clearly better. Through the many games I've played, I've learnt a lot and I've also become more relaxed on and off the pitch. You learn a thing or two from having experienced so many games.

If you had to name a high and a low point of your career so far, which ones would you name?

Baumann: The highlight would be reaching the Europa League with SC Freiburg. How we played that season was incredible, even though we were knocked out in the first round. I can’t really name a particular low point. I've obviously had a few tough games in which I haven’t played well and it’s also not easy to play in relegation battles. But these situations make you stronger. I’m happy that I haven’t had a particularly bad low point.

Many players have been away on international duty, how does this change your training as a goalkeeper?

Baumann: For us goalkeepers it doesn’t really matter how many players are away on international duty but sometimes one of us keepers has to play outfield in a training match. The goalkeeper training in this period is harder; we do more jumping, more exercises for the legs. As a result, we get stronger for the next few games.

On Sunday you're up against Mainz, what do you expect from the game?

Baumann: I think we have to be ready for an aggressive game but I also believe it has to be aggressive. What I mean by this is that in comparison to the encounter with Leipzig, we’ll have to step it up a notch. When we have to ball, we should try to be more composed. Away from home, I hope we put in a good performance and bag our first three points of the season.

Match facts and statistics »

Download Now!