In the next round of the UEFA Cup, Werder Bremen will be faced by Portugal’s Sporting Braga. Following the first meeting of the two at the Weser Stadium on February 13th, the Green-Whites will head out to Portugal for the second leg on February 21st in Braga, a medium sized city with 170,000 inhabitants.
Most notable is the ‘Estádio AXA’, which hosted a number of games at the 2004 European Championships. The stadium holds some 30,000 spectators and is situated idyllically surrounded by a breathtaking rock-face. The unique stadium, in its unusual location, is unquestionably worth a visit.
Werder’s opponents, Sporting Braga, are currently somewhat less glamorous than their stadium suggests. Last weekend, the Portuguese side looked like taking all three points again, after going four consecutive games without a win, but despite taking a 1:0 lead, Braga were unable to close the deal against eight placed Estrela Amadora and conceded a bitter equaliser in the fifth minute of added time.
Such disappointments will do little to boost the team’s confidence ahead of their UEFA Cup double header with Werder Bremen.