VfL Wolfsburg's 3-0 victory away to Borussia Mönchengladbach last week stemmed partly from the team's ruthlessness in front of goal, but Casteels' performance at the opposite end of the pitch – where he made a number of impressive saves – was equally important in securing all three points.
Here, the VfL goalkeeper discusses that triumph, whether he should be credited with an assist, and this weekend's assignment.
Against Gladbach last weekend, your long ball forward paved the way for VfL's second goal. Statisticians are now debating whether Wout Weghorst touched it, or if you should get the assist. Can you clear the matter up?
Koen Casteels: "I asked Wout about it after the game and he said he didn't touch the ball, so that clearly means I get the assist (laughs)."
Much is being made of the new-found togetherness in the team. How important is that in tight games like the one against Gladbach?
Casteels: "Togetherness is a huge help during games. If the opposition play well and move the ball around well, then it's important to be compact and to talk to each other a lot. If everyone fights for each other and we play as a unit, then it's very helpful."
This weekend, Werder Bremen come to Wolfsburg. They are undefeated in 2019, with two wins and four draws, so what do you need to do to beat them?
Casteels: "We can't afford to ease off in the slightest. If you don't give absolutely everything in the Bundesliga, you can lose games like this very quickly because it's so intense. We're playing at home and should remember our last home game against Mainz in order to show the fans that we can go on a run again on our own patch."
