Toda Ekert: The team played exceptionally well overall; all the players gave their all.

Southampton manager Toda Ekert described the victory against Portsmouth as "significant" after the match. With this crucial win, Southampton became the first team in 21 years to secure three points in the South Coast derby.  

In the 20th minute, James Bree received a precise pass from Finn Azaz and shot the ball towards the far post to score, securing the victory for his team with the only goal of the match.  

Southampton dominated the first half, delivering an excellent performance overall. However, Cameron Bragg's dismissal just before halftime after receiving his second yellow card meant the team faced a tougher challenge in the second half. Despite this, Southampton managed to maintain their lead and ultimately secure the victory. Manager Toda Ekert was pleased, especially as the team finally achieved their first clean sheet in the Championship this season.  

Speaking about the derby victory, Toda Ekert said: "We have been waiting for this moment for a long time, and this victory has special meaning for us. This week is crucial for the team, and today's game was undoubtedly a very important one."  

“I think the team performed quite well in the early stages of the game. Although we encountered some problems in the first half, overall we maintained firm control of the game. However, we also understand that we must show enough resilience in the second half.”  

“Actually, I think the team had a great scoring opportunity at the start of the second half, and could have extended the lead to 2-0. But that’s football; sometimes we have to focus on defense and be prepared for any challenge. I think the players did a great job in that regard.”  

Toda Ekert spoke after the team's victory over Portsmouth at St. Mary's Stadium in the highly anticipated South Coast derby. He said, "We re-analyzed our performance against Portsmouth last year. I think we didn't fully control the game, either at home or away. So we decided to make changes in today's game and try to control possession better."  

"We executed this tactic successfully for most of the first half, and James Bridge scored a brilliant goal to give the team the lead. However, we haven't kept a clean sheet this season, so we had to put in more effort today, and the game may have been more difficult than we initially anticipated. But I believe this victory will be a great boost to the team's journey ahead."  

“This is crucial for the team, especially with such a tight schedule. Sometimes just one goal is enough to get us the result we want. We’ve talked about this before, and I think the team hasn’t created many chances for the opponents in the past, but we’ve always failed to keep a clean sheet. Now, we’ve finally achieved a clean sheet.”  

“The whole team performed exceptionally well, every player gave their all, and the substitutes also played a crucial role. At the same time, the fans were always there for us, especially during the toughest parts of the game; their support gave us the strength to persevere. This victory is a very positive result, and now we need to stay focused and meet the challenges ahead.”  

Image source: Internet/Southampton official website