After getting the 2024/25 season off to a winning start against Energie Cottbus in the DFB-Pokal, SV Werder Bremen are now hoping to also start their Bundesliga campaign off on the right foot. Head coach Ole Werner faced the media ahead of his side's opening Bundesliga fixture away at FC Augsburg on Saturday, 24th August (15:30 CEST).
The excitement amongst the Green-Whites is visible rising with each day as their first league fixture of the season approaches. The team are highly motivated to start the season with a win for the first time in 11 years. "The fact that we have been able to end other runs like this in past seasons gives me reason to feel optimistic," said Ole Werner ahead of the league restart. "We are well prepared and delivered a strong performance in Cottbus - we know what we're up against now. I'm expecting it to be a close game, in which the team that manages to execute their game plan better will win."
Last season saw SVW win both meetings against FCA without conceding. However, Werner isn't going to rely on the conclusions the team drew from their 3-0 win against Augsburg in late April, adding that he is expecting to come up against a strong opponent despite the many changes to their squad. "They have been able to bring in players that are a strong fit for Augsburg based on their physicality and pace," explained Werner, whose team can expect the support of 3,200 Werder fans in Augsburg this weekend. "Augsburg are a team that look to attack quickly and that are variable in their positioning. For us, it will be about communicating and maintaining our shape. We will be able to create space when in possession and will then need to make sure that we avoid making mistakes as we look to move up the pitch."
With pre-season over, Werner commented that he is noticing a different spirit amongst his players compared to previous weeks. "As soon as the competitive games start and the competition for spots in the starting line-up starts, the mood changes compared to pre-season," he explained. "It's a mix of excitement and focus - the most important thing will be that we are ready to go on Saturday."
Update ahead of #fcasvw ℹ️
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) August 22, 2024
Amos Pieper (muscle injury) will not be part of the squad on Saturday ????#werderpic.twitter.com/25Id2bd0ve
