Kagawa's delight as Dortmund win
Japan winger Shinji Kagawa said he was delighted to have supplied the final pass to help Paraguay's Lucas Barrios hit his first goal of the season in Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win at Nuremberg.
Kagawa's pass in the 82nd minute of Friday night's German league match was drilled home by Barrios, who has spent much of the last six months on the bench and the win put Dortmund top.
Having scored 16 goals in 32 games last term as Dortmund won the title, Barrios had threatened to quit Dortmund during January's transfer window.
He lost his place to Poland's Robert Lewandowski at the start of the season and Kagawa, who has refound his form after breaking his foot at the Asian Cup in January 2011, said he was happy to see the Paraguayan score.
"It was important that he (Lucas Barrios) scored a goal," said the 22-year-old Kagawa.
"After the game I went to see him and was happy for him. We both had a difficult time in the first half of the season."
Dortmund's win took them top of the Bundesliga table as they usurped Bayern Munich, who play at Hamburg on Saturday, and Kagawa was happy with the whole team performance after captain Sebastian Kehl had scored just after the break.
"It was wonderful that we fought hard again as a team for the full 90 minutes," he said after the match was played in sub-zero temperatures.
"It was a good win, the ground wasn't a problem, but it was very cold.
"In the beginning it was important that we stayed focused.
"The conditions were tough, but that was expected, after all, it was an away game."
Dortmund have started 2012 with a hiss and a roar having won 5-1 at Hamburg a fortnight ago and dispatched Hoffenheim 3-1 at home last weekend.
"During the winter break, I was told that the first three games are particularly important, so it's very good that we have won all three," Kagawa said.
"I'm in good shape and wants to score more goals. I am very satisfied with my performance."