“There is an explosive element,” commented Werder trainer Thomas Schaaf on his side’s final game of the season against Bayer Leverkusen. And how right he is! There is certainly a fuse just waiting to be lit by both sides in Saturday’s game. Werder want to secure second place in the table, which brings the runner-up title and more solid planning possibilities for another Champions League campaign next season. The Green-Whites two point and eight goal superior goal-difference should be enough to hold off their closest rivals FC Schalke 04.
It’s a mapped exercise that Werder’s sporting bosses naturally approach with irreverence: “We are aware of our strengths and will not be aiming to achieve a pre-set result. Of course a draw would be enough but our demands are above that,” explained a determined Thomas Schaaf: “We want to play successfully as well as attractively, and in the end, achieve our goal of direct qualification for the Champions League.”
At the BayArena though, the home side are preparing for some serious fireworks: “Bayer will have undertaken a lot - they want to qualify for international competition,” warned Thomas Schaaf. The situation between positions 4 and 7 is a curious one. There are four sides, all on 51 points, striving to make the UEFA Cup places 4 and 5. Leverkusen have the comparatively better goal difference but need a win to be sure. An explosive constellation, as Schaaf acknowledged: “Both sides will be going for the win and that is the best foundation for a really good match.”