LIGA total! Cup 2012 - Werder face Bayern

Klaus Allofs made the point clearly: "The seriousness of the Bundesliga is getting closer!" And one of the final run of test matches is coming this weekend at the LIGA total! Cup 2012. And the competition will be strong. The semi-final opponent on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Hamburg's Imtech Arena will be Bayern Munich.

The opponents for the next day will be one of the teams from the opening match of the tournament between hosts Hamburg or German champions Borussia Dortmund. "We definitely will face off against clubs in the same situation. They are in the end of their preparations, starting the German DFB Cup two weeks later. So this tournament can give us important indications where we stand," said Allofs.

The game against Bayern will be a reunion with Claudio Pizarro and the Werder fans could get a first look in game action of new acquisition Kevin de Bruyne. And it will be a return for Eljero Elia who used to play for Hamburg. Allofs said the LIGA total! Cup 2012 is a good part of his team's preparations. "It's a good check of our current situation and we will certainly use the opportunity to try some things out. Test some things, combine some players with others. The starting line-up will have no impact on how we start the Bundesliga," said Allofs. "If we win the tournament, it doesn't mean that we are among the title contenders. If it doesn't go so well, we know how to judge it."