There will be memories awakened in Bremen when, on Wednesday, 15.08.2006 at 8:30pm, Werder Bremen’s Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb gets underway at the Weser Stadium.
There will be memories awakened in Bremen when, on Wednesday, 15.08.2006 at 8:30pm, Werder Bremen’s Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb gets underway at the Weser Stadium.
There will be memories awakened in Bremen when, on Wednesday, 15.08.2006 at 8:30pm, Werder Bremen’s Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb gets underway at the Weser Stadium. In September 2005, despite early difficulties, the Green-Whites eventually overcame FC Basel to book their place in the Champions League proper. Thomas Schaaf’s men lost the first leg in Switzerland 2:1 but bounced back at home with a 3:0 win – a nerve wrecking match, the like of which Werder will not wish to see repeated.
Klaus Allofs is warnful: “I fear it will be an equally tough piece of work. Zagreb are just as strong a side as Basel”, explained Werder’s general manager but he also sees his clubs experience as an advantage: “We are further along than we were then and have played in the Champions League twice since. The extra experience should help us.”
Team captain Frank Baumann is of a similar disposition: “It’s always difficult to compare two teams. In comparison to back then, our team has changed a lot in the last two years. We are going to have to be very concentrated if we are to progress to the Champions League.”
Concentration alone will not be enough though. Zagreb are controlling the Croatian league at will. They have taken the last two championships and started this season with five wins on the trot. Dinamo are not an easy draw for Werder and Thomas Schaaf is well aware of that fact: “Croatian teams are generally technically very strong. Zagreb have a lot of young players in the side who are full of running and willing to give their all. That coupled with their technical ability makes them very dangerous.” Despite that, the coach is looking forward to the tie with confidence: “We are well aware that this will be decided over two legs. We want to put on a good performance at home to put ourselves in a strong position going into the second leg. We are quite relaxed and know exactly what we have to expect.”
What Werder have to expect is of no surprise to Jurica Vranjes. Werder’s Croatian international is expecting to see a very defensive Zagreb side come to take on Bremen: ”They will be compact at the back and attempt to make life difficult for us that way. We will have to deal with that, be patient and take our chances when they come.”
Patience could well be the key for the Green-Whites who wish to take on the very best in Europe again and to do so, they must first overcome the hurdle of Dinamo Zagreb. Christian Schulz summed up the importance of the game against Zagreb: “We know how important this game is. Champions League matches are the highlights of the season. There you have the sort of attractive opponents that Werder wish to measure up against. That’s where we want to be.”Two years ago Werder managed to take just this hurdle against FC Basel and the chance is here now for Thomas Schaaf’s men to make their fourth consecutive Champions League appearance. “We want to be back in there again, it’s a sporting kudos,” declared Allofs.
The following 18 players will make up the Werder squad for the match against Dinamo Zagreb:
Wiese, Vander, Pasanen, Niemeyer, Naldo, Mertesacker, Schulz, Baumann, Andreasen, Jensen,Vranjes, Alberto, Diego, Rosenberg, Sanogo, Almeida, Schindler, Harnik.
