As in the past few weeks, Ole Werner announced that there would be a few absences in the squad ahead of the match away from home against Borussia Mönchengladbach (17/3 20:30 CET). The 34-year-old was still optimistic, however, when answering journalists’ questions on the upcoming meeting with the Foals.
The short week of training has gone well according to Werner: “The guys who have been there have done a good job,” he said, praising his players, who only just played recently on Sunday evening against Bayern Leverkusen (2-3). “We should go there with joy, optimism and with our heads high because the performances have been good lately.”
The 5-1 victory in the reverse fixture is “water under the bridge” for the head coach. Both teams still have their own style of play, but a lot has changed in the course of the last six months. What is certain is that the task against a strong Borussia side will be demanding. “They have a lot of individual quality,” said Werner. “They are good at keeping the ball and always try to find a way forward. They have a lot of players who have been playing at a top Bundesliga level for a very long time.”
For a successful outcome, the Green-Whites have to perform in the decisive moments. A top performance is the basic requirement for taking home three points, as in every Bundesliga game. “We want to be a tough opponent for them,” stressed coach Werner. “We have to bring lots of passion onto the pitch to overcome the challenges. To take all three points back home, we have to get the most out of ourselves, and if we can do that, we have a good chance of winning.”
????️ Ole Werner on the squad: "Felix Agu and Manuel Mbom are still unavailable. Leonardo Bittencourt, Christian Groß and Marco Friedl are ill. Milos Veljkovic has a calf problem and will also be out."#werder#BMGSVWpic.twitter.com/M6njjpxFxA
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) March 16, 2023
