Part of being a fair sportsman is recognising the performance of your opponent. And that was the case between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen – not just on the pitch but also...
Part of being a fair sportsman is recognising the performance of your opponent. And that was the case between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen – not just on the pitch but also...
Part of being a fair sportsman is recognising the performance of your opponent. And that was the case between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen – not just on the pitch but also in post-game comments.
"Both teams had huge respect for the other," said Werder head coach Thomas Schaaf after the goalless draw on the road. He was satisfied with his team’s showing for most of the game, especially the strong first half and the defence. "On defence we stood absolutely sure of ourselves. We helped each other very well and did well pushing the ball forward. That still worked well coming from the back in the second half. But it just wouldn’t go further forward. There was some kind of wall that did not allow any more chances," said Schaaf.
The aforementioned wall came about through a change of tactics by Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes after Werder’s strong first half. "Werder took over the proceedings after 15 minutes and dominated the game until the break. I did not feel too well on the bench," said Heynckes. “You could see that Werder have built a good structure over the years. There is a lot of fantasy in their game. That’s why I told the team at halftime that they first half to worry about holding their sheet clean."
"Bayer Leverkusen is a top notch team. You saw today that they deserve to be near the top. Therefore I see the point as a victory," said Bremen keeper Tim Wiese. Defender Per Mertesacker agreed with his keeper and added that the Europa League game at Nacional Funchal also had an impact. "We really had a tough game on Thursday, flew four hours back home and then had a four-hour bus ride to Leverkusen. Right now we have been on the road more than on the football pitch," said Mertesacker with a grin.
