"We are here in an international competition and have the chance to reach the final. We need to focus all of our attention on this game," said head coach Thomas Schaaf...
"We are here in an international competition and have the chance to reach the final. We need to focus all of our attention on this game," said head coach Thomas Schaaf...
"We are here in an international competition and have the chance to reach the final. We need to focus all of our attention on this game," said head coach Thomas Schaaf at the official press conference before the match at Hamburg.
Torsten Frings confirmed that the motto within the team is full concentration on the semi-final return leg. "This game means a lot, so the team is accordingly tense. We came here to qualify for the final in Istanbul. Nobody will be satisfied with reaching just the (German) cup final in Berlin," said the German national team player, who besides tension also observed the necessary confidence among his team-mates. "The team believes in their chance. We have won important games here before. We reached the Champions League here. We won the (German) cup semi-final here. We just have to win, no matter how. We also have in our heads the AC Milan game, when we came back from a two-goal deficit in one half."
It was unclear from the final practice at HSH Nordbank-Arena who would make Werder's 18-player roster for the game. Hugo Almeida remains questionable for the match while midfielders Diego and Mesut Özil are both healthy again. Schaaf underlined on Wednesday Diego's importance for the semi-final return leg, saying: "He is a special player. But all of the others have to bring their top game as well."
Werder Bremen travelled to Hamburg with the following 19 players: Wiese, Mielitz, Boenisch, Naldo, Tosic, Baumann, Fritz, Rosenberg, Diego, Özil, Prödl, Tziolis, Frings, Almeida, Pizarro, Niemeyer, Andersen, Mertesacker, Harnik.
