Soccer - Last chance in 2023: Werder aim for first away win
Last season, Werder Bremen laid the foundations for staying in the league on away grounds. The Whites picked up 19 points away from home in the 2022-23 season, concealing their acute weakness at home with just 17 points at their own Weser Stadium.
Everything is different in the current round. While Werder have already notched up four victories in front of their home crowd, they are doing next to nothing on their opponents' pitch. Bremen picked up a measly 2:2 draw in Wolfsburg - that's it so far for coach Ole Werner's team.
This record also leaves the Bremen coach speechless. "I really have no explanation for that," said Werner on Thursday. This Friday (20:30/DAZN), the North Germans have their last chance this year to secure their first away win of the season at Borussia Mönchengladbach. "Of course that's our wish. It's always the aim to follow up a win with more points," said Werner, referring to the all-important 2-0 win against FC Augsburg a week ago.
But the task on the Lower Rhine will not be easy. Gladbach, in tenth place in the table, only have two more points than Werder. However, Borussia have shown great improvement recently, especially in front of their own fans, winning their last three home games in the league. There were also two wins at Borussia-Park in the DFB Cup against Heidenheim and Wolfsburg.
"They are strong at home. They have a lot of quality in their squad and a good mix of young and experienced players," said Werner about their next opponents. However, the Werder coach has also noticed the fluctuations in Gladbach's play, which is why he is confident that his team can do well. "I expect a game at eye level."
Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer can also help to secure the first three points away from home. The goalkeeper recently complained of shoulder problems and had to cut back a little in training during the week. However, he was able to complete a full training session on Thursday and will be fit in time for the match. Zetterer (28) had only recently replaced Jiri Pavlenka as number one for the Green-Whites.
Bremen captain Marco Friedl will still be missing due to adductor pain. The Austrian will be replaced by Niklas Stark in the central position in the back three. Werner is not planning any major changes beyond that either. Star acquisition Naby Keita has trained with the team for another week, but the former Liverpool player is still out of the question for the starting eleven. "We'll see if he's an option from the bench," said Werner.
Werder squad info for the game on bundesliga.de
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
Source: www.stern.de
