'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...
'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.
