Paderborn playing it cool after Hamburg success

A week after they were agonisingly denied victory in their first top-flight fixture, SC Paderborn announced themselves on the big stage with a 3-0 win at Hamburger SV, coach André Breitenreiter saying: "It makes me very happy that the whole of Germany acknowledges that we are able to compete in the Bundesliga."

Paderborn followed up their season-opening 2-2 draw against 1. FSV Mainz 05 – during which their opponents equalised from the penalty spot in the 94th minute – with a resounding success courtesy of goals from Elias Kachunga, Mario Vrančić and Moritz Stoppelkamp. The display left Breitenreiter and his players beaming.

"We are immensely happy and proud that the boys gave such a performance," explained Breitenreiter, whose side left the 55,000 fans at the Hamburg Arena rubbing their eyes in disbelief. "We have always been fast on the break, but we were dangerous all the time and determined. The players went to their limits. The win was absolutely deserved." Full-back Jens Wemmer added: "We stepped on the gas and fought fantastically.”

Ahead of the season, Breitenreiter described his team as the "most glaring underdog in Bundesliga history". While Paderborn's introduction to life among the German elite has been immensely encouraging – they are second in the fledgling table − the one-time Hamburg and VfL Wolfsburg forward will not be getting carried away.

"We have had a great start, but we have only played two games," he said. "It makes me very happy that the whole of Germany acknowledges that we are able to compete in the Bundesliga. We will enjoy the moment, but we will carry on keeping our feet on the ground."

So what is the key to the success of a squad that finished runners-up in the 2. Bundesliga last term? "We have to work hard week after week in order to compensate for our inferior starting position compared to our competitors," said Breitenreiter. "At the start [of the game] the team once again demonstrated their outstanding mentality and implemented the tactical plan very well. These were also the decisive elements that were responsible for our promotion. We can build on this.

"The start has shown that we were doing a lot of things right during pre-season and in our arrangement of the squad, but there will also be difficult periods this season during which we need full backing."