Werder snatch a vital Champions League point

Per Mertesacker made it 1-0 for Werder in the 29th minute.
First Team
Thursday, 23.10.2008 / 13:30

It was a very important point for their position in the group table and a small step in boosting the side’s self-confidence. During Werder’s 2-2 draw with Panathinaikos Athens, those responsible for the...

It was a very important point for their position in the group table and a small step in boosting the side’s self-confidence. During Werder’s 2-2 draw with Panathinaikos Athens, those responsible for the Green-Whites noted a positive development but nothing to indicate that the team has fully regained its former strength: “Considering how the game flowed, we would have to say that the point here was a point won. We will have to be satisfied with that today. We took some small but crucial steps forward here. We didn’t concede in the closing phase of the game and managed to maintain a level head after we’d gone 2-1 down,” noted Allofs, who wasn’t painting an unrealistically rosy picture: “We did better on the retreat but we could be a lot more determined and passionate – we can do a lot better.”

 

There was particular praise for Hugo Almeida, who slotted into the starting eleven in place of Markus Rosenberg, who was still carrying a knock but took a spot on the bench: “That wasn’t an easy game for him. He was called back on almost everything that he attempted. That can happen in away games, but he didn’t allow it to bring him down. He continued to give his all and was eventually rewarded for that with a goal.” After the final whistle in Athens, the burly striker was confidence that his performance could take him a step closer to a regular starting place: “I was a little surprised that I was chosen to play from the start. I’m not quite at 100% but the match practice that I got here will help me get back to full fitness a lot more quickly.”

 

The Portuguese internationals vital equaliser was a goal which shoved the door to the knock-out stages of the Champions League slightly further ajar. Werder now head into the second round of group games unbeaten with three points from three matches: “Following a 0-0, a 1-1 and a 2-2, we can’t afford a 3-3 against Panathinaikos in Bremen. We need to put a stop to the number of goals we are conceding very quickly if we are to get back on track. We can’t always just play hurrah football but instead, as we did tonight, wait for our opponents to make mistakes. Taking a point away from home is always a good result. Now we need two wins before our home game against Inter Milan, when we can pull out all the stops,” summed up vice-captain Torsten Frings.

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