Bundesliga
Philipp arrived in Bremen – only victories are missing
Bremen’s goal scorer for the 1:0 Maximilian Philipp (r) is happy with the passer Leonardo Bittencourt. photo
© Carmen Jaspersen/dpa
Maximilian Philipp hits the starting XI debut for Werder Bremen immediately as a replacement pitcher. The goal against SC Freiburg is not enough to win. After the game he gives a glimpse into his soul.
Maximilian Philipp could have written the story of SV Werder Bremen’s game against SC Freiburg. He could have been the man of the match if his first Bundesliga goal was enough for the Hanseatic League to win against his former club and if his possible second goal after an overhead kick hadn’t been prevented in a great manner by Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken. But with too much subjunctive no games are won in football.
And so Philipp was disappointed and without points on Sunday after the 1: 2 against the Champions League aspirants. “I think we were the better team,” he said. “I think we deserved a point.”
He could be satisfied with his own performance, but that was little consolation for him. After all, the loan from VfL Wolfsburg had played for the injured Bundesliga top scorer and national player Niclas Füllkrug. With his style, the 29-year-old managed to represent the filling jug, which is actually irreplaceable at Werder, with dignity. “In terms of performance and appearance, he played well,” said coach Ole Werner.
“Of course, I can’t replace abundance one-for-one. He’s a special player, an extremely important player, with his robustness and his nose for goals,” said Philipp. “I’m more the playful type.”
Philipp describes himself as an introvert
For him it was the first game in a Werder jersey that he was allowed to play from the start. In the previous eight games since his move in January, he had come on during the game. Apart from the difficult phase of Bremen with six games without a win, Philipp says he arrived in the Hanseatic city after initial difficulties.
“I always need something because I’m an introvert to settle in, to open up to other people,” he said. It’s a “self-protection. I can’t blame anyone but myself.” He is like that “because I don’t have that much self-confidence. I think you can see that sometimes.”
He now feels comfortable in Bremen. “I enjoy being on the pitch with the team, whether it’s training or a game,” he continued. “I was also well received. I think my style is also quite well received.” The jubilation after his first goal in the Werder shirt was a visible sign: Leonardo Bittencourt, who provided the assist, jumped into his arms and kept pointing at the goal scorer while looking at the fans. Only the sporty happy ending was missing this Sunday for a Maximilian Philipp story without a subjunctive.