Revenge after five years

SV Werder have played five matches during the current season preparations and have not yet been beaten. The next test comes Sunday 29 July 2012 at 3 p.m. as Werder travel to second division SC Paderborn. The match will be played at Benteler Arena against an opponent who is having an equally strong preparation.

Paderborn have not lost in eight matches, playing to a 4-4 draw against Danish first division side FC Vestsjaelland and winning all the other matches. The surprise team from last season Paderborn also knocked off Twente Enschede, a team that Werder know from the Champions League but lost last Sunday 1-0.

There are a couple of Paderborn players who have played for SV Werder in the past. Jens Wemmer, Markus Krösche, Daniel Brückner and Tobias Kempe all played in Bremen's youth system or the U23s. Krösche had the longest stint with the Green-Whites, beginning his career with Werder in 1996 and playing on a team with Tim Borowski which won the German A-youth championship in 1999. In 2001, Krösche transferred from SV Werder II to Paderborn and has played there since.

Krösche and his teammates will welcome Werder to Benteler Arena, Paderborn's home grounds. Ground was broken for the new 15,000-seat stadium in 2005 and the opening match took place in 2008 against Borussia Dortmund. The grounds were called Energieteam Arena from 2009 to 2012 until the Benteler Group secured the naming rights in July 2012. The match against Werder is the second division side's final test of the pre-season as Paderborn open season on Friday 3 August 2012 against Hertha Berlin.