Werder are fourth in the table going into this weekend’s game against Schalke. Despite this, Schalke (15th) are the favourites for the game. “That doesn’t mean that they have to win,” said Florian Kohfeldt, with a smile on his face.
Werder are fourth in the table going into this weekend’s game against Schalke. Despite this, Schalke (15th) are the favourites for the game. “That doesn’t mean that they have to win,” said Florian Kohfeldt, with a smile on his face.
Previous meetings: Werder lost at home against Schalke last season, despite Lamine Sané putting the Green-Whites into the lead. The away side equalised through a Milos Veljkovic own goal and Leon Goretzka scored the winner. Werder got a more positive result in the away fixture, however. Yevhen Konoplyanka put Schalke in front before Max Kruse equalised following a Matija Nastasic red card. Zlatko Junuzovic scored the winner for Werder in extra time, meaning the three points went back to Bremen.
Kohfeldt on the game: Despite the difference in league standings, Schalke are favourites for the game. “Schalke are clear favourites,” said Kohfeldt. He expects Schalke to be “quite dominant with some periods of pressing” following the side’s upturn in form recently. Nevertheless, “we want to win. We had a great week in training and I’m convinced we can keep our rhythm, despite the international break,” added the boss.
Team news: Following the international break, Kohfeldt has Milos Veljkovic available once again after his suspension. The Werder head coach was also pleased that all his players got through the break unscathed. This is still a question mark over whether Martin Harnik is fit for the game, but he re-joined training with the rest of the team on Thursday. He’ll have a final fitness test to see whether he feels 100% for the game.
Previous results: Werder have won 41 out of their 98 games against Schalke, drawing 20 and losing 37. The Green-Whites have a record of three wins and two draws in their last 10 games against the Royal Blues. The last 0-0 in the fixture was back in 2005/06.
The opposition: Schalke have started to push on recently following a poor start to the season, getting wins against Mainz and Dusseldorf. The side are currently 15th in the Bundesliga table, with two wins and five defeats. Former Werder defender Naldo, 36, has recently signed a contract extension with the Royal Blues, and looks to be in the plans of head coach Domenico Tedesco. “Schalke pose a great threat through their big and physical players, especially in set pieces,” said Florian Kohfeldt.
The officials: Christian Dingert is the referee for the game, with Tobias Christ and Timo Gerach running the lines. Mike Pickel is the fourth official, with Tobias Stieler and Michael Bacher working as video assistants.
