"We will be vigilant"

Union Berlin preview
  • Show video
Davie Selke will return to the squad for the game against Union (nordphoto).
preliminary report
Friday, 01.01.2021 / 15:54

Von Lennard Worobic

Since the end of the 2019/20 season, SV Werder Bremen and Union Berlin have shared a special bond. Thanks to the capital city club’s victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf on the final day of the season, Werder were saved from automatic relegation and given the lifeline of a spot in the playoff. Green-White fans showed their gratitude by sending a reward to their new friends in Berlin. 2021 is a new year, however, and any friendship and gratitude will be on hold this weekend. "This is a different season and this is another game that we obviously want to win," said sporting director Frank Baumann at Friday’s press conference. After a short winter break, the action returns to the wohninvest WESERSTADION this Saturday at 15:30. 

Personnel: Just in time for the first game of the year, Davie Selke is back from injury. Marco Friedl has also recovered from his thigh problems and is back in the squad after missing out in Hanover. Other players who were struggling with minor injuries ahead of or after the DFB-Pokal tie are now available for selection again. These include Leonardo Bittencourt, Ömer Toprak and Kevin Möhwald. Niclas Füllkrug will train with the team ahead of this weekend’s clash, but it is uncertain whether he will be ready to feature against Union. Nick Woltemade, in less positive news, has contracted a virus (not corona) and will be out of action for the time being.

Cannot let the intensity drop

Florian Kohfeldt preparing his team for the opening game of 2021 (nordphoto).

Florian Kohfeldt on the game: The Werder head coach was as pleased as anyone with the two pre-Christmas wins against Mainz and Hannover, but sees no relevance in them with regard to the Union game. "In my opinion, the wind in our sails from these games has died down, and it is out job to recreate it," said the 38-year-old. On Saturday, Kohfeldt went on, the key to success will be finding the right balance: "We will be vigilant and cannot allow ourselves to make any careless mistakes. At the same time, we have to be proactive." The team, he reported, had been working hard all week to tick off the first three points of the year this weekend. "I think this could be the kind of game that allows us to establish some mid-table stability," said Kohfeldt, stressing the importance of the game. Despite the points gap in the table between the two sides, the Werder boss is convinced that his players are individually every bit as good as Union’s players. "We cannot allow our intensity to drop, not even a little bit," he continued, before going on to describe Urs Fischer’s side as "unbelievably disciplined and physical" – with or without Max Kruse, whom Kohfeldt would have liked to see back at the Weser. From a sporting perspective, the 38-year-old may be pleased that his former player will miss the game, but on a personal level he wishes him a “speedy recovery!” 

Previous encounters: Union are a tough team to play against, which SV Werder learned in their most recent meeting in 2019/20. While Werder won the first encounter that season at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei by two goals to one through goals from Davy Klaassen (5’) and Niclas Füllkrug (55’), Union won the second time around, beating Werder 2-0 in Bremen. 

No home wins in Bundesliga head-to-head

Niclas Füllkrug scored Werder's most recent goal against Union. It is uncertain whether he will feature tomorrow (nordphoto).

#SVWFCU – round 2: Last season’s two meetings are to-date the only two Bundesliga encounters between Urs Fischer’s team and SV Werder. The first competitive fixture between the sides came back in 2009/10 in the DFB-Pokal, which saw Werder run out 5-0 winners. In the top flight, the head-to-head record is in the balance, with one away win for each team. Just under a year after Union’s win last season, Werder will be looking to put in a better performance on home turf this time around. 

Union in form: For Union Berlin, their second season in Germany’s top flight could hardly have gone any better so far. After finishing eleventh in their first season, they are now 6th with 14 games played – a Europa League qualification spot. Along the way, they’ve recorded some impressive results, not least a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. SV Werder are coming up against a team in hot form, but the Green-Whites are far from in a slump, going into the new year full of confidence after back-to-back wins to end the year. 

Your web browser ist outdated.
The web browser you are using is no longer supported.
Please download one of these free and up to date browsers.
Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge
Chrome Firefox Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
MS Edge
Why should I use an up to date web browser?
Security
Newer web browsers provide better protection against malware, data theft and other threats to your privacy and security. Up to date browsers continuously close security holes that allow attackers to enter your computer.
New Technologies
The technologies used on modern websites are better supported by newer web browsers. This both increases functionality and improves the website layout. By benefiting from new functions and extensions you will be able to surf the web faster and easier.