It’s possibly a statistic which can be easily explained but it does tell us a great deal about 1. FC Nuremberg. The Frankish sides 2:1 defeat by Hertha BSC Berlin at the weekend was their first in six months!!
It’s possibly a statistic which can be easily explained but it does tell us a great deal about 1. FC Nuremberg. The Frankish sides 2:1 defeat by Hertha BSC Berlin at the weekend was their first in six months!!
It’s possibly a statistic which can be easily explained but it does tell us a great deal about 1. FC Nuremberg. The Frankish sides 2:1 defeat by Hertha BSC Berlin at the weekend was their first in six months!! Despite the long World Cup break the long unbeaten period is a statement about the clubs quality. It was the 31st match day of last season, at the end of April, that Nuremberg suffered a loss at the hands of Borussia Dortmund. Over the last three games of last season and the first nine of this, no-one was capable of inflicting a defeat on Nuremberg. Not Leverkusen, not Stuttgart, not even Bayern Munich at their own Allianz-Arena. Their record at home is all the more impressive with a twelve match unbeaten run still intact at the easyCredit stadium. Eintracht Frankfurt were the last team to take three points away from the south German side back in February. All this means that league leaders Werder Bremen will have no easy task when they visit Nuremberg on Tuesday, 07.11.2006 at 8pm.
Werder have already felt the power that Nuremberg possess once this year. On the 26th match day of the 2005/2006 season, Werder were sent back to the Weser after a deserved 3:1 defeat – one of only two away losses in 2006. The shining light on this occasion was the striker who hit on the double, Robert Vitek. The Slovakian international had scored a hat-trick in each of the two previous games then and the Werder defence were also powerless against him. The beefy front man scored 16 goals last season, all after the winter break. The previous season it was his fellow countryman who proved the best scorer in the Bundesliga and won the 2004/2005 German golden boot with 24 goals.
The club have not proven quite so strong so far this season. The two Slovakians are fit but the goals are now more evenly divided throughout the team. Midfielder Jan polka has proven most dangerous in front of goal this season with his name on the score sheet three times – Werder would be well advised to prevent his from having the opportunity to shoot from outside the box too. The most dangerous strikers have been Ivan Saenko and Markus Schroth with two goals a piece. Vittek has only managed one goal, back on the first day of the season and Mintal is as yet goalless. Werder coach Thomas Schaaf was full of praise for the Nuremberg offensive crew: “They have a strong side with technically capable strikers in Saenko and Vittek. Aside from those two they have Schroth who can have an impact with his physical ability.” Schaaf also warned “They are mobile and quick on the break.”
The big picture of the technical, tactical and physical strengths of the team are respectfully combined with one very important mental factor in Schaaf’s opinion – self confidence. “The team have developed immensely in comparison with last season. My opposite number has worked very well. He has given the side self-confidence and discipline.”
Two of the players who have proven most noticeable to the Werder coach have been Jan Polak and ex-Bremen man Ivica Banovic, who scored in Berlin at the weekend: “Polak is in good form and Banovic has fuelled up on confidence of late.” The fact that these two players have made their way into the fore front is probably connected to the list of prominent names who left Nuremberg in the close season. Adel Chedli (Sion), Stefan Kießling (Leverkusen), Mario Cantaluppi (Luzern) and Lars Müller (Augsburg) were all important elements in the team. Thomas Galasek from Ajax Amsterdam is the most experienced new addition to the team and should help to fill the gap. In general the club have stuck to their programme of youth development as the cocky 22 year old hopeful Dominik Reinhardt commented when pitched about the up-coming tie: “Werder are interesting right now.”
Despite the confidence and determination within the Nuremberg side – the Bremen side know they are going into the tie as favourites. Thomas Schaaf: “Nuremberg don’t have the pressure upon them to win the game but will give their all in front of their own crowd.” Not only has it been a strange season for the Frankish team but they have also gone eight games now without a win. The reason was a run of seven draws prior to the defeat in Berlin – five of which finishing 1:1. Having taken top spot on the third day of the season, trainer Hans Meyer even joked about winning the title but more recently spoke with respect about Werders draw with Cottbus. “I wouldn’t have had anything against Werder saving their slip-up until a little later.” His sides home record against Werder should give him hope though. Werder have only managed to win six of the clubs 24 Bundesliga meetings in Nuremberg with the home side winning ten times.
One further statistic prior to the match. Nuremberg trainer Hans Meyer will sit on the bench in the first of second German division for the 250th time. His side have this season notched up two wins, seven draws and only one defeat. How will the experienced coach experience his anniversary?
