Nikolic: 'Targets have grown'

Milena, you’ve scored ten goals in the Bundesliga this season – on matchday 15 that was already twice as much in the whole of last season. You're the top scorer in the team and the third highest scorer in the league. You're on a roll, aren't you?
Nikolic: Yes, that's right, everything is going very well for me. But I am a striker so I have to score goals, (she laughs). But it’s not just me – the whole team are doing really well this season.

That's true. Last season you were battling against relegation and now you're in the top half of the table. What's changed?
Nikolic: We're much more consistent this season. I think, that's partly due to us bringing in good new players in the summer. That's made competition within the team even tougher. On top of that, the younger players were able to gain a lot of experience last year in the battle against relegation. Now they are benefiting from it. You could even say that the whole team has developed – both in terms of fitness and in the technical and tactical areas. Every player is giving 120 per cent.

Following the 4-2 win against Turbine Potsdam, you were briefly fourth in the table – for the first time for Bayer 04 in the Bundesliga. What did that feel like?
Nikolic: Of course, it was a massive boost for the team. And it showed us we could finish high up in the table at the end of the season. We are battling for fourth place. Last season we were playing to avoid relegation. That's why sixth place, which we set ourselves as a season target, was already a big challenge. The targets have grown after the good first half of the season. We've shown, as against Wolfsburg on Sunday, that we can compete with every team in the Bundesliga.

What will be crucial in the remaining seven games?
Nikolic: We've got to face some difficult opponents. Bayern are coming too – they haven't lost a single game so it will be difficult to get a result. But you should never say never as we beat them last season. We're definitely going into every game with the thought of picking up three points. We'll see what happens in the end. If we remain as consistent as before and perform in the same way in those games as we have done in the past two weeks then we'll be on the right track to reach our season target and perhaps even beat it.

As you said: You were able to win in Munich last year; and you were close to getting a 1-1 draw at the current champions Wolfsburg at the weekend – is it fair to say confidence probably plays an important part?
Nikolic: We've definitely got much more confidence than before. After the win against Potsdam, we went into the game against Wolfsburg with a lot of self belief. We knew it will be a completely different game where we had to do a lot more defensive work. But we had two or three chances after conceding – it's a pity we didn't score. That's the next step we have to work on: taking our chances against a strong opponent like that. But we are much more compact when we are pressing and that obviously brings the confidence to get up the pitch.

You had some good news in January. You extended your contract by another two years to the summer of 2023. What made you do that?
Nikolic: The reasons are the same as at the moment I first signed: The set-up here is very good. And, of course, I really feel at home in the team. And the first half of the season confirmed that view. The team has developed considerably and I see a lot of potential so that we can establish ourselves in the top half of the table in the coming seasons.

What desires and aims do you have personally but also with the team this season?
Nikolic: We want to achieve a good position in the table in the end. Fourth place would be brilliant. For me, I hope to be able to contribute with goals. I'd like to score in every game.

How many goals can we expect from you this season?
Nikolic: I spoke to Nina Brüggemann about it after the first half of the season and I set myself the target of scoring one more goal than in the first half of the season. I scored five goals last term and after the first half of this campaign it was six. I’d be happy to end up with 15. I can do that. I'll give my all.