For the third time this season Werder Bremen clash with Hanover 96 in a northern derby. Werder have not lost against the Lower Saxon side this season but they have proved no push-over. In the Bundesliga, the teams played out a 0:0 stalemate. In the DFB Cup, Bremen may have won 4:1 but with goals falling late on in the match.

Although the teams have met twice this season, this will be the first game at the Weser Stadium on Saturday, 25.03.2006. In front of a capacity crowd, the Green-Whites hope to banish the ghosts of their last two Bundesliga games. "It's a game that we must win but it won't be easy. We will have to be wide awake right from the kick-off. We can't allow any more slip-ups", explained Miroslav Klose who showed himself to be in electrifying form for the German national side against USA. The striker returned from Dortmund yesterday along with colleagues Patrick Owomoyela and Tim Borowski. "It's nice to have won that international, it relieves some of the pressure that was upon us", summed up Owomoyela.

Team spirit and self confidence a must

There are tense expectations to be felt within the Werder camp before the arrival of Hanover. The Hanseatic club have slipped back into fourth place after deafts by Nuremburg and at home to Hertha BSC Berlin: "We will have to show a positive reaction to recent events. With team spirit, self confidence and as a compact unit we can collect all three points", explained Tim Borowski.

Statistics show the 'The Reds' from Hanover have not scored at the Weser Stadium for 194 minutes. Their last goal was their 2:1 winner back in the 2002/2003 season.

Personnel problems

Werder want to keep their record of clean sheets against 96 but won't have their best eleven available to do that. Captain Frank Baumann is still not back in team training after his knee injury, with Torsten Frings and Johan Micoud questionable there are problems in the midfield. The French playmaker did train during the week but is still not 100% fit: "Joe would be a real asset to our team with how he has played recently but we'll have to wait and see if he is capable of calling up his full ability", according to Thomas Schaaf.

With 34 points, Hanover are in seventh place. Thomas Schaaf is wary of the Lower Sacon side: "They are athletic and very mobile offensively. They have picked up some good results of late and shown how strong they are. Now they have the will to achieve more."

Johnnie Muldoon