The last game between the two sides: It hasn’t been that long since Bayern and Werder last faced each other. In the 2017 Telekom Cup, the high-calibre pre-season tournament, the two teams faced off in the final. Bayern were triumphant 2-0. In the return game last season, the Green-Whites held strong for a long time and pushed Munich all the way but were narrowly defeated 2-1.
Pre-match quotes: “We can’t be intimidated by Bayern. We know how many great players they have in their squad. It’s important that we work as a team and push ourselves to the limit”, Head coach Alexander Nouri said of Werder’s game plan ahead of the opening home game of the season. And Werder’s sporting director Frank Baumann added at the press conference on Thursday, “If we are as attacking as we were in January, we will have a chance of getting something from the game”.
That certain something: Max Kruse and Jaroslav Drobny are the only players in the Werder squad who have won against Bayern in their careers. Max Kruse won 2-0 in March 2015 with Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. Jaroslav Drobny’s victory over Bayern was a little longer ago. In February 2009, the goalkeeper, whilst playing at Hertha BSC, beat the record champions 2-1 at the Olympiastadion. So to both of you: Give the others the lowdown on how to beat them!