Just imagine, you’ve beaten Chelsea and can’t even really enjoy because three days later you’ve got a tough, in fact a top of the table, clash in the Bundesliga.
Just imagine, you’ve beaten Chelsea and can’t even really enjoy because three days later you’ve got a tough, in fact a top of the table, clash in the Bundesliga.
Just imagine, you’ve beaten Chelsea and can’t even really enjoy because three days later you’ve got a tough, in fact a top of the table, clash in the Bundesliga. Werder Bremen will play host to DSC Armenia Bielefeld on Saturday, 25.11.2006 at the Weser Stadium. Trainer Thomas Schaaf knows his side will need complete concentration to over come the challenge of the East Westphalians.
So far as Armenia coach Thomas von Hessen is concerned, the whole idea of a top of the table clash is no longer the case: “Well it could have been one if we’d won against Wolfsburg.” Last weekend VfL Wolfsburg managed a 0:0 draw at the Schüco-Arena, leaving Bielefeld in sixth place, a position that von Hessen is definitely satisfied with: “We want to secure this position now.” Bielefeld have worked hard to get into the position they’re in and haven’t lost a game in the last eight. Armenia picked up a point against Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC, Borussia Dortmund and the 1. FC Kaiserslautern whilst claiming all three points against Frankfurt, Aachen, Mainz and Cottbus. On the fourth match day of the season they pulled off their major coup with a 2:1 win against title holders Bayern Munich thanks to goals from Wichniarek and Kamper.
These two players in particular were singled out and praised by Thomas Schaaf in his analysis of his up-coming opponent: “Bielefeld have two very mobile men up front in Wichniarek and Zuma. In a well functioning midfield, with plenty of experience, there is space for the Danish Under 21 Kamper, who has shown his abilities at club and national level.” Not only did he score a cracker against Bayern but also snagged a brace against Aachen and a hat-trick at Cottbus. Artur Wichniarek’s record is no less impressive with five goals and three assists to his name. But, in Bielefeld, it’s not all about attack. The secret of their success has also lay within their defensive strength, with centre-half Westermann proving on top of his game: “They counter attack and combine well through him”, commented Schaaf.
“Thomas Schaaf is doing some great work and Bielefeld are deservedly in the position that they’re in”, admitted Schaaf whose team will quickly have to shake off the glitz and glamour of the Champions League and return to focusing on the daily slog of the Bundesliga. The coach is not worried though: “We’ve dealt with the swinging back and forth very well until now, we digested the task, put it to bed and re-oriented. Today we will still be thinking of Chelsea but by Friday at the latest we will be fully concentrated on Bielefeld. Everything that we showed against Chelsea, we must take with us into the Armenia game. I hope that a performance like that is not only possible on a European Cup night.” General manager Klaus Allofs wants to use Wednesday nights experience to formulate his expectancies for Saturday: “We are going to be facing a good side who will use their tactical abilities to disrupt our game, the way we did against Chelsea.”
The ‘Disrupters’ from Bielefeld will have a different Werder team to face though when they take to the pitch on Saturday. The Green-Whites will be without playmaker Diego, who picked up his fifth yellow card against Aachen last weekend. “We’ll miss him but it gives others the chance to show what they can do”, said Schaaf who has confidence in his complete squad. Further absentees will be captain Frank Baumann, Patrick Owomoyela and Mohamed Zidan. The visitors will be without Fatmir Vata (cruciate ligament tear), Abdelaziz Ahanfouf (broken leg) and Ioannis Masmanidis (ligament tear). Striker Sibusiso Zuma is also in doubt.
Bielefeld will not take much comfort from their record in Bremen. In 13 meetings between the two at the Weser Stadium, the home side have finished winners on 12 occasions with only one draw, a 2:2 during the 2003 season. Last seasons opening game finished in a 5:2 win for the Green-Whites with Klose and Klasnic each grabbing a brace and the odd goal coming from Frank Baumann. It was a win which saw Bremen take an early lead in the Bundesliga.
Johnnie Muldoon
