Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf will know to have his men on their guard when VfL Bochum arrive at the Weser Stadium this coming Sunday. Until now, VfL have proven one of the Green-Whites more welcome opponents – from 61 meetings, Werder have won 38 and lost only nine – but memories of their clash earlier this season will still be fresh in Bremen minds. Schaaf’s men looked to be cruising and took a 2:0 lead into the half-time break, thanks to goals from Diego and Boubacar Sanogo, but the home side bounced back in the second half, eventually equalising and managing to snatch a point.
A similar situation must be avoided this Sunday with the points vital in making a successful re-start. Werder Bremen have never been beaten by VfL Bochum at the Weser Stadium and there are no plans for that to change now. The Green-Whites go into the game with eight consecutive Bundesliga home wins against VfL to their name and the trainer knows how inspiring such statistics can be: “We are convinced of the quality that we possess and know that we can win.”
Werder’s trainer will also be aware though that the task against the side from the Ruhr Valley will not be an easy one and also that Bochum have strengthened their side during the winter break with the signing of Mimoun Azaouagh, Shinji Ono and the experienced Aleksey Belik. Schaaf is expecting a defensively minded opponent at the weekend: “They could well opt to attempt to hit with quick breaks through Sestak, building from a compact defence.” Sestak has already notched up eight goals this season and provided a further seven assists. Keeping him under wraps could well be the key to success against Bochum.