Schaaf’s memories: Controlling Gladbach and empty hands

That’s just how it was the last time they met and all too often in the past for Werder in Gladbach. Borussia celebrating and Bremen left licking their wounds.
First Team
Friday, 29.08.2008 / 14:10

'Relief for Bremen!' That was the headline in a number of reports following Werder’s third game of the 2007/2008 season. Last time around, the Green-Whites also failed to win their opening...

'Relief for Bremen!' That was the headline in a number of reports following Werder’s third game of the 2007/2008 season. Last time around, the Green-Whites also failed to win their opening two games and were particularly demoralised by a 0-4 home defeat to FC Bayern Munich. The situation now though is that Bremen are determined to notch up three points, and break their duck on match day three – just as they did last season when they beat Nürnberg 1-0 thanks to a wonderful strike by Martin Harnik.

 

There is no doubt though that the opponents on Saturday, 30.08.2008 at 3:30pm, will be well capable of preventing the Green-Whites achieving their goal. They go by the name of Borussia Mönchengladbach and are in even more desperate need of points than Werder Bremen at the moment: “They are going to want to prove themselves at home,” said Thomas Schaaf. But could Werder be about to visit the Borussia-Park at the perfect time for VfL? Borussia have a distinctly positive record against their north German rivals at home, where they have lost only ten of their 39 clashes. “We’ve experienced a number of games in Gladbach which we controlled but we still ended up coming away from there empty handed,” recalled Thomas Schaaf.

 

How can a recurrence be prevented? “We have to force our own game,” demanded Thomas Schaaf. So the task will be to avoid a repeat of the game in Bielefeld, when a lack of spirit and determination cost Werder. The performance against Schalke was improved but a 1-1 draw at home cannot be described as satisfying. The important factor will be to win the challenges that the Werder players enter into: “We won the tackles as well as being willing to do the work and the players were there to support one another. That was a step in the right direction” – those were the comments of trainer Schaaf after his side secured the three points in Nuremberg last season and a similar analysis would be very welcome at 5:30pm this Saturday too.

 

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