The Werder players have quite a course to run - starting this Saturday!! As the Bundesliga rolls into the home-straight, there are still four hurdles to take, three of which over the coming seven days. With just a four goal advantage separating the Green-Whites and third placed FC Schalke 04, the race to make second place at the end of the season is anything but done and dusted and it could well go right to the wire.

The first hurdle, in what is the penultimate week of the season, will pith Werder against FC Energie Cottbus on Saturday, 03.05.2008 (3:30pm kick-off). Then on Wednesday there is the tricky trip to Hamburg SV before Hannover 96 pay a visit to the Weser Stadium on match day 33. It’s a tough run-in for trainer Thomas Schaaf’s men, and although the side from Lusatia, who are struggling back in 14th place, may seem the easiest task, Werder will be aware that this weekend’s challenge will be no less strenuous than those which follow. Quite the opposite: “They are still battling for survival which makes them extremely dangerous for us,” noted captain Frank Baumann.

For Energie Cottbus, the prize for success is not the sweet taste of European football but rather the more elementary prize of top flight existence – a situation which will make the Cottbus players battle recklessly for all they can get: “They will come here full of confidence considering their recent successes,” said Baumann - another reason to be wary of the seriously incalculable opponents.