On Saturday, 29.09.2007 at 3:30pm, there will be a guest at the Weser Stadium who are generally very welcome. On 13 occasions, Armenia Bielefeld have visited Bremen to play Werder in the Bundesliga and only once have they managed to take a point back home with them in a 2:2 draw back in 2003. Otherwise it’s been wins all the way for the Green-Whites and of late they have been very clear win too. During the 2004/2005 season it was a 3:0 for the home sides and a year later it was a 5:2 start for Thomas Schaaf’s men. Goals from Miroslav Klose (2) and Aaron Hunt brought three points and a 3:0 win last season. The return game on the 31st match day of the season was not a memorable one for Werder but a highlight in the Armenia season as they beat the Bremen club 3:2 at the Schüco Arena. Despite goals from Klose and Almeida, Werder found themselves slipping from second place instead of taking top spot.
An awkward challenge against an awkward opponent
Werder coach Thomas Schaaf obviously had that in mind when he commented: “Armenia are an awkward opponent”. The fact is that it could be very awkward for the visitors should they have to return to Bielefeld pointless. After a ositive start with seven points from three games, Armenia lost their way in Duisburg and Schalke, suffering 3:0 defeats on both occasions and then on Wednesday night, the first home defeat on Wednesday night, 0:2 against Hanover 96. Between those games there was a 4:2 win against Hansa Rostock to boost confidence briefly. Just like last season, the visit to the Weser Stadium could be a make or break game for Bielefeld. Should they lose it will be a backwards step in the table for Armenia from tenth place into the bottom third. Last autumn it was a defeat in Bremen that began a negative trend with ten games without a win on the trot. A run that saw them in danger of the drop until shortly before the end of the season. Relief came with four wins in a row between the 30th and 33rd match days including the 3:2 win against Werder who had just returned from a defeat in Barcelona.
Middendorp's Armenia – compact and unchanged
Armenia Bielefeld ended the season in twelfth place, a position that trainer Ernst Middendorp and the bosses at the club would have been very satisfied with. Faith has been kept in the bulk of the squad from last season. The most expensive new signing was Daniel Halfar from Kaiserslautern who is yet to feature whilst the departure of Croatian central defender Andre Mijatovic (Greuther Fürth) has been the most notable loss. Heiko Westermann left the club in summer to n favour of Schalke 04. The trainer brought goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez and midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi from his last club, Kaizer Chiefs Johannesburg , and pulled off a coup, luring striker Leonidas Kampantais from AEK Athens.
Thomas Schaaf can expect to be facing a side who are compact at the back and will patiently await their chances to counter attack but Armenia will be missing defensive veteran Petr Gabriel (foot injury). “We want to control the game but we will have to be patient”, said Schaaf. A win could see the Green-Whites regain touch with the top sides as Bayern, Leverkusen, Schalke and Berlin will all take points from each other this weekend. Schaaf could well have Clemens Fritz available to him again. “He could well make the squad”, admitted the trainer who has been without the German international since the opening day of the season in Bochum: “All the players who are in the squad must be able to play”, stated Klaus Allofs, the Werder general manager.