The Green-Whites are all set to travel to the capital to take on 1. FC Union Berlin at the Alte Försterei on Saturday, 16th March (15:30 CET), and are looking to collect all three points once again against the team that they beat on matchday 9. In Thursday’s pre-match press conference, head coach Ole Werner revealed that SVW will need to “deliver a strong, energetic performance” in order to come out on top against the 14th-place side.
1. FC Union Berlin have managed to put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone after recently pulling off a series of solid performances both at home and on the road. FCU have been on the rise ever since the appointment of their new head coach Nenad Bjelica in November, and are currently sat on five points fewer than Werder. For this reason, Ole Werner is hesitant to make any assumptions about the upcoming opponent based off the Green-Whites’ 2-0 victory at home in the first half of the season. “We definitely won’t be taking a whole new approach to the game, as their strengths will be the same as when we played them the first time round,” explained the 35-year-old. “However, the team is fundamentally in a better condition than they were on matchday 9.”
????️ Ole Werner on the squad:
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) March 14, 2024
"Amos Pieper and Marco Friedl are making good progress on their recoveries, but Niklas Stark will miss the game against Union. After receiving his fifth yellow card against BVB, Romano Schmid is suspended and won't play on Saturday."#werder#fcusvwpic.twitter.com/KL4fl6yQTS
When referring to Union’s strengths, the head coach is, of course, highlighting their quality in set pieces and the pace they bring to the pitch. “They have a different calibre of players up front than they have done over the past few years, and also at the time of our meeting in the first round of matches. A lot has changed in terms of their squad’s individual quality.” Werder’s backline, which is currently facing a high number of absentees, will need to be prepared to come up against FCU forwards with pace and technical ability. Luckily for the Green-Whites, key defender Milos Veljkovic is back in action following a long injury spell, though the recent absence of Niklas Stark is a real blow to the team. “It’s heartbreaking for him, particularly because he played well in his first game back from injury. He’s a very important player for us, both on and off the pitch. Nevertheless, we’re able to, and have to, make up for his absence as a team,” remarked Ole Werner.
One possible option to replace Stark is Julian Malatini, who has already become a regular in the past few weeks. “He’s been thrown in at the deep end earlier than expected, but has done well so far. I think he can continue to play an important role for us,” praised Werner in light of the young centre-back’s strong performances as of late. The head coach doesn’t just have a gap to fill in defence, but also in midfield, with Romano Schmid suspended due to accumulation of yellow cards. “It’s part of the game. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to deal with a suspension. We’re able to manage that. We have other lads who are desperate to play.” In order to win at Union Berlin, a cohesive team performance will be needed, as well as both aggression and composure in the individual battles. “These are all things that we’ve done well this season. Therefore, we’re confident and believe we can win there.”
