Werder To Avoid Defeat At All Costs

First Team
Friday, 22.09.2006 / 11:02

For trainer Thomas Schaaf, the fifth game of the Bundesliga season is ‚Simply’ about three points, depite the rivalry between Werder and HSV. “It is still very early on in the season so the table is not really decisive.

For trainer Thomas Schaaf, the fifth game of the Bundesliga season is ‚Simply’ about three points, depite the rivalry between Werder and HSV. “It is still very early on in the season so the table is not really decisive. We can’t afford to allow a defeat to affect our goals.” Schaaf knows only too well how difficult it is to take three points away from Hamburg. “Emotions can run particularly high during a northern derby so you can’t sit back and wait for half an hour before getting involved. The special atmosphere begins with the kick-off.” Both northern clubs are determined to improve their positions on this occasion. Now, with the 85th clash of the clubs from the Weser and the Elbe, neither club can be happy with their current situation.

 

Having finished eight in the table twice on the trot, HSV finally qualified for this seasons Champions League but did have to go through the qualifiers. The fact that HSV had to go through a nerve wracking double header with Spain’s CA Osasuna was basically down to the Green-Whites who pipped the Hamburg side to second place in the table on the very last day of last season with a 2:1 win at the AOL Arena. And what a game it was – Klasnic with the lead for Werder, Barbarez equaliser, Ailton misses a string of sitters, Klose scores a dream goal, Borowski misses a spot kick – neither group of fans will forget it in a hurry.

 

The HSV team which will attempt to put things right against Werder Bremen on Saturday will look a lot different to the squad which filed out back in May. The departures of Daniel van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Stefan Beinlich (Rostock), Khalid Boulahrouz (Chelsea), Sergej Barbarez (Leverkusen), Naohiro Takahara (Frankfurt) and Ailton (Red Star Belgrade) have been compensated to some degree by Vincent Kompany (RSC Anderlecht), Joris Mathijsen (AZ Alkmaar), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villareal), Boubacar Sanogo (Kaiserslautern), Besart Berisha (AC Horens), Paolo Guerrero (Bayern Munich) and Danijel Ljuboja (VfB Stuttgart).

 

Thomas Schaaf was quick to warn of the danger posed by the new strikers: “We can’t allow the HSV strikers to bloom.” The trainer is very much determined not to be on the end of the first Hamburg win of the season. The club from the Elbe have so far only achieved a 1:1 draw with Armenia Bielefeld, a 2:2 with Energie Cottbus and a 1:1 with Bertha BSC Berlin as well as a 0:1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund. HSV suffered a shock defeat in extra time of the first round of the DFB cup against lowly Stuttgarter Kickers (4:3). The Champions League failed to offer any comfort or a revival of confidence with a 2:0 home defeat against Arsenal.

 

Despite the fact that Werder have also lost their last four games, Thomas Schaaf sees no parallels between the two clubs. “We have very different premises – for one thing we have won two games and had some form of success. A win would do us good though.” Schaaf did admit though that his team will have to improve if that’s to happen.

 

It is sadly a bitter time for Werder to have to be faced by a string of injuries to vital players. Torsten Frings (knee problem), Ivan Klasnic (ankle injury), Daniel Jensen (groin strain), Petri Pasanen (knee problem), Miroslav Klose (foot sprain) and Per Mertesacker (heel operation) are all still doubtful for the tie.

 

Klaus Allos counter part in Hamburg, Dietmar Beiersdorf is also having to deal with the possible loss of important players. Argentinian Sorin trained with the team again for the first time on Thursday after a calf injury. Timothee Atouba may be fit in time after having to sit out with a groin injury but captain Rafael van der Vaart is definitely not available. The Dutch international is carrying a thigh injury. Guy Demel and Colin Benjamin will also have to watch from the terraces, both are on suspensions.

 

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