Werder will have their hands full on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Frankfurt to take on a tough Eintracht side (Saturday, 18th February, 18:30 CET). The reverse fixture was an intense, enthralling encounter and the fans inside the wohninvest WESERSTADION were treated to seven goals as Eintracht ran out 4-3 winners. Ole Werner faced the media Thursday afternoon to discuss what he believes will be a “hard-fought contest.”
A decisive factor for Frankfurt in the reverse fixture was their pace at the top of the pitch and the intensity of their performance. Ole Werner was full of praise for SGE in Thursday’s presser and he warned that his players are coming up against a “top team”. He also made it clear that the way Frankfurt “approach the game” and their “good organization and variety when they have the ball” also stand them in good stead.
Werner also believes his side have the ability to hurt Eintracht if the players execute their game plan: “We need to defend aggressively and as a unit and we need to be courageous in possession. It is a tough test against a side who a currently one of the best in Europe, but it is a game that we can approach with ambition."
Frankfurt have conceded 14 goals from set-pieces so far this season and this could be an area that SVW will look to exploit at the weekend. Werner also mentioned on Thursday that this is something his side have been working on in recent weeks: “We have put in some good balls from set-pieces in the New Year, we’ve got some good procedures and we have scored a couple of goals. It’s certainly something that you prepare for.”
Leonardo Bittencourt, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out against BVB, will unfortunately miss the clash at the weekend. Although Bittencourt could have played an important role in what will be a “tough game contested between two teams with an intensive style of play,” Werner isn’t worried: “Leo is someone who offers us a lot in this department. We will, however, have enough players who will play with fire, put in a passionate performance and be able to play a nasty brand of football.”
