High hopes for final game

Werder Bremen took a big step towards the Champions League with a stunning goal-fest. While thoroughly satisfied with their 6:1 win over Hannover, Werder still haven’t reached their ultimate goal.

What the race with Bremen for direct qualification for the Champions League entails has been totally plain for Schalke bosses and players to see since Saturday.

Two points ahead

“The math is very simple: we have to win, Werder have to lose”, said Schalke interim coach Mike Büskens after the “Royal Blues” hard-fought 1:0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Before the final game of the season, last year’s second-place finishers are now in third with 61 points, two points behind Bremen. And Werder have a better goal difference (+29) than Schalke (+21).

Frings self-confident

In Bremen, it wasn’t just the 6:1 win that gave them cause to celebrate. “We’ve demonstrated it here in no uncertain terms: we may not be a mega-team, but we can play really good football. And we’re going to win in Leverkusen too”, explained German international Torsten Frings.

A win at Bayer would clinch a Champions League berth for Werder for the fifth time in a row.

One of the reasons for success was Tim Borowski. The home-town crowd bid an emotional farewell to the German international, who will be tranferring to Bayern München for the upcoming season.

Borowski to be missed

“It was really gripping”, said Sporting Director Klaus Allofs. With teary eyes, Borowski himself said it was a “perfect moment and a truly wonderful farewell”. And Borowski gave himself the best going-away present of all: he scored the 3:0 goal in the 73rd minute.

The over 42 thousand fans gave a standing ovation to Borowski, who is leaving after 12 years with Werder. “He’s had an outstanding time here; now he’s going to help Bayern”, said Frings, as Borowski celebrated with the fans.

But now Bremen have to turn all their attention to Leverkusen.

Concentration at Schalke too

Coach Thomas Schaaf had a word of advice about Werder’s upcoming game in Leverkusen: “We’ll be facing a very good team and we have to be concentrated.”

But concentration is also the key word for Schalke before their game in Nürnberg. “It’s important that we keep all our options open”, said Sporting Director Andreas Müller.

Bordon and Kuranyi: Believe!

The players are full of hope and they believe in themselves. “We have to try to win in Nürnberg, and hope that Leverkusen play well. We have to work for our luck”, said German international Kevin Kuranyi.

Skipper Marcelo Bordon bases his hopes on his experience with VfB Stuttgart. “I went through this with Stuttgart in 2003. On the last day of play, Dortmund drew 1:1 with Cottbus, which put us in second place. We have to keep on believing, even if we only have a one-percent chance.”

source: bundesliga.de

Wiese denied penalty chance out of respect for 96

Penalty for Werder! Drunk with the juices of success, some 30,000 fans at the Weser Stadium called for keeper Tim Wiese to take the spot kick. A number of the Green-Whites on the pitch felt it was a good idea too and beckoned Wiese forward. The keeper initially made a few steps towards the Hannover goal but then stopped and decided against the idea. For the Green-White’s goalkeeper, respect for the opponents played a major role in his eventual decision.

General manager Klaus Allofs commented on the situation after the game with a wry smile: “Maybe some time in the distant future we will have fan voting on such issues as who should take free-kicks and penalties but we are not that far along just yet. Aside from that, our goal difference could play a very significant role and we have a clear group of players responsible for set pieces.”

Fairness also played a vital role for Werder Bremen. Vice-captain Torsten Frings made it very clear to his goalkeeper that he should remain in his own half of the pitch: “That’s just not the right thing to do, especially when your opponents are so far behind. That would just be a mockery of our opponent and that is something we don’t do here,” declared Frings.

source: werder.de