Bilateral El Khannouss described his first Bundesliga goal as "very special" during a match in which Stuttgart's strong performance pleased their supporters, while James Sands acknowledged that St. Pauli "struggled" in crucial areas during their 2-0 defeat.
The victory for Stuttgart served not only as a points gain but also as a testament to their character after a late collapse against Freiburg the previous week.
El Khannouss, a 21-year-old Moroccan midfielder, expressed pride in his achievement, highlighting a strong performance culminating in his first league goal since joining from Leicester. He stated, “We are happy with the win, we wanted the points back from last week. We showed a great spirit, fought all together, and we are happy. We were much stronger in the duels; we put more intensity, and we were calmer with the ball.”
The memorable moment for El Khannouss came in the 49th minute when he scored after a well-executed team move. He remarked, “Very special… For me, my family who are here today - I hope it is the first of many.” He also acknowledged the support from Stuttgart fans, noting, “It is a good competition [The Bundesliga] for young players like me, and a dream to play in such stadiums. We thank the fans for the atmosphere tonight.”
In contrast, St. Pauli faced a more subdued atmosphere. Midfielder James Sands admitted that his team did not perform well in fundamental aspects of the game. “I think we struggled,” he said, referring to their defensive shortcomings. “One of the best things for us has been our defence, but we didn’t have that. We lost a lot of duels. When you play a good team, the technical execution has to be better - and we couldn’t put it together in the final third.”
Sands commended goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj for saving a first-half penalty from Angelo Stiller, stating, “It’s unbelievable. But we can’t expect him to bail us out every game.” Despite some external expectations, Sands emphasized that the squad has higher standards for themselves. “It is always disappointing,” he noted. “Many people say this is a game we shouldn’t expect to win, but as a team, we have different expectations. We believe that.”
Stuttgart’s win alleviated some pressure following their recent loss, while St. Pauli is left to contemplate a night of difficulties on both ends of the pitch, as characterized by Sands.
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