There are just days to go before the end of the Bundesliga winter break. It's been 17 Bundesliga match days since Werder last faced Armenia Bielefeld in a game that finished in an impressive 5:2 win for Werder to start the 2005/2006 season.
There are just days to go before the end of the Bundesliga winter break. It's been 17 Bundesliga match days since Werder last faced Armenia Bielefeld in a game that finished in an impressive 5:2 win for Werder to start the 2005/2006 season.
There are just days to go before the end of the Bundesliga winter break. It's been 17 Bundesliga match days since Werder last faced Armenia Bielefeld in a game that finished in an impressive 5:2 win for Werder to start the 2005/2006 season. On that day both Ivan Klasnic and Miroslav Klose managed a brace each.
Unfortunately for trainer thomas Schaaf, this duo will not be paired up again at the Bielefeld Schüco Arena on Sunday, 29.01.2006 at 5:30pm. Klose, who currently tops the goal scorer list in the Bundesliga will miss the tie with a shoulder injury which will keep him on the sidelines for at the very least three weeks. That all means that only Nelson Valdez is available to join Klasnic up front, with Aaron Hunt still out of action with a knee problem.
The day after Werder Bremens shock DFB Cup exit at the hands of FC St. Pauli, a number of Green-Whites are carrying knocks. Patrick Owomoyela, who came to Bremen from Bielefeld at the start of the season is suffering from an ankle injury but hopes to be fit to face his ex-club on Saturday. The German international has now made the left full back position his own, six months ago the new signing made a brief six minute appearance to replace the then first choice Ümit Davala.
For the second half of the season and the game against Bielefeld, Thomas Schaaf has made his goals clear: "Our preparations have shown us that we can play football and perform well. Now we have to get the right results too." That the game on Sunday against Bielefeld will be no day at the park can be seen in the statistics. Three years ago the two met on the first and eighteenth match day of the season, much to Bielefelds favour (3:0, 2:2).
The Werder coach is not blinded by the fantastic result from the first game of this season: "It's not always easy to play against Bielefeld. In past ties they proved the better side, took the lead and won the game." Thomas von Hessen's team proved in the DFB Cup on Wednesday that they are capable of winning a game when all would appear to be lost. In the 26th minute, Bielefeld had Marcio Borges sent off but still managed to pull back to 1:1 and then had the luck on their side in a penalty shoot-out.
Armenia will have gained in confidence for the bundesliga re-start from this match. Werder Bremen are well prepared though and have their sights set. "We want to make a good re-start and put on a good performance", stated Thomas Schaaf whose men can now concentrate on the league after their DFB Cup exit.
