"We must not mope": Magdeburg looks to the future

0:5 against Preußen Münster. The highest home defeat in the 2nd Bundesliga took the team and coach of 1. FC Magdeburg quite unprepared. "I didn't expect us to lose by such a large margin. But it was a game in which we didn't defend well against the ball," explained coach Christian Titz.

The FCM appeared surprised by Münster's vehemence on Friday evening, rarely finding the means to overplay the visitors' attacking front players, which is actually a Magdeburg specialty. In the duels in the final third, the Blue & Whites too often drew the short straw - even if the statistics ultimately show a plus in duels won by FCM.

Willingness to run beats short passing

Most strikingly, however, Münster ran significantly more than Magdeburg and had covered almost five kilometers more distance by the end - meaning FCM barely found a gap and rarely managed to relieve pressure or even create clear goalscoring opportunities. Titz's players found it difficult to find the causes after the game, with Alexander Nollenberger instead looking ahead. "We can't mope around now. We still have two games left and have to give it our all," said the winger.

Goalkeeper and captain Dominik Reimann called his teammates to account: "Everyone has to question how they played and what needs to be changed." Despite the defeat, FCM still have a chance of finishing in the relegation places, but will now have to rely on support.

Promotion play-offs still possible

The club only has it in its own hands to finish ahead of Paderborn and Düsseldorf, as those are Magdeburg's last opponents in the league. It goes without saying that a different performance is required to win against these clubs. "You have to try to clear your head and see what you need to do better - but also train for it," said Reimann, looking ahead to the coming week.

The reaction of the Magdeburg fans on Friday evening clearly showed how they assess the situation at FCM. Despite the record defeat, there were hardly any whistles until the end, but rather support and chants. The fact that Magdeburg were almost relegated in the previous season has not been forgotten in the stands - and so the current season is a successful one, regardless of the outcome.

The players still need to get the maximum out of the game, Reimann concluded: "We're approaching the last two games in such a way that we want to win both of them. We have to show a different face to do that - but everyone knows that we can do it."