The next home game is almost here! After the Green-Whites picked up their first point of the season against Hertha, Werder want to get their first victory in the upcoming game against Schalke: “We go into every game, wanting to win. We did that in the last game and we will have that in mind on Saturday. We want to win at the Weserstadion against Schalke,” Werder’s head coach Alexander Nouri said, setting out a clear aim for the Bundesliga clash, which kicks off at 15:30 CEST on Saturday.
WERDER.DE summarises the most important talking points ahead of Matchday 4.
Schoolmates: Werder’s head coach Alexander Nouri and Schalke’s head coach Domenico Tedesco have known each other for a long time. They were on the same coaching course with the DFB. Last year, both coaches were awarded their diplomas at a gala in Frankfurt. Werder’s boss knows Tedesco’s qualities as a friend and as a professional: “Domenico is doing a great job at Schalke and he has brought in an added impetus to the team. I’m looking forward to Saturday. We can exchange a few words and catch up after the match.”
The last meeting: Werder fans have fond memories of the last game between the two sides. Thomas Delaney and co. beat Schalke 3-0 in April. Theodor Gebre Selassie, Max Kruse and Maximilian Eggestein were on the scoresheet for the Green-Whites. In the first half of the season, Werder were defeated 3-1 by the Royal Blues.
Pre-match quotes: Werder’s head coach Alexander Nouri knows what to expect on Matchday 4: “We are coming up against an ambitious team who have started the season well. Nonetheless I think we are more prepared for the game against Schalke. We want to get a reward for the hard work we have been putting in day in, day out and get the three points.”
The twelfth man: Just as in the last home game against Bayern Munich, the Weserstadion is sold out for this Saturday. The team can look forward to an amazing atmosphere once again inside the stadium.
Homecomers: When Schalke come to the Weserstadion, two ex-Werder players will be returning to their old stomping ground. Naldo, now defensive leader at the Royal Blues, played for SV Werder between 2005 and 2012 and played 173 Bundesliga games in that time, scoring 22 goals. However for Franco DI Santo, his Green-White past is not as long ago. From 2013 to 2015, the Argentine wore the Werder jersey 49 times in the Bundesliga, scoring 17 goals and provided 6 assists. Frank Baumann looks forward to them both coming back: “I just hope that after the game, they don’t have much to laugh about,” sporting director Frank Baumann said with a chuckle.
The referee: Benjamin Brand will see over proceedings on Saturday. In February, he refereed Werder’s 1-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. He will be assisted by Frederick Assmuth and Jan Neitzel-Petersen. The fourth official will be Sven Waschitzki.
