“We threw our bodies on the line”

Axel Hellmann: “We managed to beat Leipzig thanks to a tireless and gutsy performance. I was obviously interested in what was happening off the pitch, too, and I’m relieved that everything went smoothly. Tonight proves that protests can be stages in a responsible manner. That’s what sets Eintracht Frankfurt fans apart. I have to praise [referee] Felix Zwayer, who anticipated what was going on and decided that the game can go ahead as planned. We can no longer be relegated now, but we’re still taking one game at a time.”

Niko Kovac: “Both teams contributed to a hard-fought football match. It must have been fun to watch for the supporters. You could tell we’re in good shape physically and that we’re capable of winning narrow affairs like this. We did really well over the course of the 90 minutes. Offensively, defensively and in terms of passion and attitude, everything was spot on. Timmy Chandler is beginning to showcase his attacking qualities more regularly now, which I’m delighted about. Prince picked up his fifth yellow card, which should give him plenty of time to recover from his knock. We need to remain humble. Our journey isn’t over yet - there’s still a third of the campaign left to play.”

Prince Boateng: “We fought, we threw our bodies on the line, we ran our socks off and we chucked ourselves into tackles. That sets us apart from other teams. Every one of us put in a good performance tonight and we all helped one another. We deserve to be near the top of the league, but we still have many games left.”

Timothy Chandler: “It was an awesome performance from the team. We were desperate to win the match. We promised ourselves to stand up to everything they threw at us. I gambled on the ball coming in my direction for our equaliser, and I was able to tuck the ball home with the sole of my boot. David [Abraham] is incredibly important for us with his pace. We’re very happy that he’s back.”