Chance for revenge

Monday's Team Talk

A chance at revenge came as a surprise birthday present for Alexander Nouri (photo: nordphoto).
Team Talk
Monday, 21.08.2017 / 10:16

+++ Looking forward to a rematch:  Almost no one would expect a rematch to happen so soon, but at the end of October, Werder will line up once more against TSG Hoffenheim in the second round of the DFB-Pokal at home. Werder’s head coach Alexander Nouri talks of various reasons to look forward to the cup clash with the men from Kraichgau: “First and foremost, we all hoped for a home game. It’s great that this came to fruition and we can play in front of our fans at the Weser-Stadion,” Nouri tells WERDER.DE. With his 38th birthday on the same day as the draw, a chance at revenge came as a surprise present. “Clearly Hoffenheim present a tough challenge for us as we saw last weekend, but we will do everything we can to get our own back for the loss and reach the last 16. I look forward to an entertaining game and a special cup atmosphere under the floodlights.” Theodore Gebre Selassie agrees with his coach: “I’m really happy that we get to play at home. It’s also great that we have the chance to show everyone that we can play much better than we did in the Bundesliga on the weekend,” the Czech Republic international said in his interview with WERDER.DE. +++

+++ A blueprint for success: A cup tie against the men from Kraichgau at the Weser-Stadion? It has happened once before. The last time the two sides met in the cup was just over seven years ago on 9th February 2010. The Green-Whites won 2-1 thanks to goals from Naldo and super sub Hugo Almeida. The Werder faithful would definitely not be opposed to a repeat of this result come October. +++

Lamine Sané put in a strong second-half showing against Hoffenheim (photo: nordphoto).

+++ The power of the cup: The keen statisticians amongst Werder fans will be looking forward to the upcoming cup game at home - Werder have not lost a cup tie at the Weser-Stadion for almost 30 years. On 13th April 1988, the Green-Whites lost 1-0 in the semi-finals to Eintracht Frankfurt. Their most recent home tie came two years ago against 1. FC Köln, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Werder. +++

+++ Doing everything necessary: It was a hard day’s work for Lamine Sané on the weekend. He had to resist a second-half attacking onslaught from Hoffenheim, and for the large part was successful. The Senegalese defender won 81 percent of his challenges and once again reinforced his importance for the Green-White defence. Two of his teammates, Robert Bauer and Milos Velijkovic, were also bright spots in the game; both players completed almost 80 percent of their passes. +++

Frank Baumann defends Florian Kainz after his missed opportunity (photo: nordphoto).

+++ Missed opportunity: After the final whistle in Sinsheim, it was a case of what could have been. What would have happened if Florian Kainz had slotted that huge chance into the back of the net? How would the game have turned out? “Obviously it’s annoying that the ball didn’t find the net. But that’s football. It’s not new to me,” said Werder’s sporting director Frank Baumann with a smile in support of the attacker. Baumann alludes to his own playing history, having let a big chance go begging in the final game of the 1998/99 season while playing for 1. FC Nürnberg. With the game against Freiburg tied at 2-2, Baumann could have ensured safety for his team if not for missing a sitter. Nürnberg ultimately went down, and Baumann moved to Werder after the season ended. +++

+++ Growing pains: The newly introduced video assistant referee (VAR) did not run smoothly on matchday 1. Due to technical difficulties, the new system didn’t work in the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena along with two other stadiums. Head coach Alexander Nouri  responded to the situation calmly: “Obviously it isn’t ideal. If there was a situation which was controversial, it would definitely have been more frustrating.” Frank Baumann added: “You cannot forget that this whole Bundesliga season is a test period for this new technology.” Small growing pains are only natural. +++

 

Latest news

Ole Werner speaking to the team in the huddle.

“There were a lot of good things"
27.04.2024 / First Team
The team going to celebrate in the corner.

Strong performance in 1000th Bundesliga away gam ...
27.04.2024 / Match Report
Marvin Ducksch taking a penalty.

Striving for victory on the road
26.04.2024 / preliminary report
Ole Werner pointing.

“We know exactly where we stand”
25.04.2024 / First Team
Romano Schmid wearing a Werder shirt leaving the pitch

A licence to attack
24.04.2024 / First Team
Your web browser ist outdated.
The web browser you are using is no longer supported.
Please download one of these free and up to date browsers.
Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge
Chrome Firefox Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
MS Edge
Why should I use an up to date web browser?
Security
Newer web browsers provide better protection against malware, data theft and other threats to your privacy and security. Up to date browsers continuously close security holes that allow attackers to enter your computer.
New Technologies
The technologies used on modern websites are better supported by newer web browsers. This both increases functionality and improves the website layout. By benefiting from new functions and extensions you will be able to surf the web faster and easier.