The top match on the second match day of the 2006/2007 season is without doubt the clash between Werder Bremen and Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday, 19.07.2006 at 3:30pm. The tie will be the 53rd meeting between the two with Werder holding the clearly superior record with 18 wins on their books and 13 defeats.

"I expect a very interesting and exciting game", explained trainer Thomas Schaaf. "Leverkusen have a very good team with good individual players. We can prove ourselves against them at the very highest level". The 46 year old trainer is particularly impressed by a youngster called Gonzalo Castro, a more experienced Bernd Schneider and Tranquillo Barnetta, as well as new signings Sergej Barbarez ( from HSV) and Stefan Kießling (Nuremburg). The ex-Nuremburg striker is considered by the Werder coach to be "One of the best young strikers in Germany."

Captain Frank Baumann expects the game to be "Tougher than the game against Hanover." The midfielder continued: "They are extremely dangerous going forward, are tight at the back and have the potential to play for a UEFA-Cup place." For the ex-Leverkusen and now Werder man Jurica Vranjes it is of little interest against whom his side will play on Saturday: "We want to be among the top sides so we have to win", acknowledged the Croatian international.

The Leverkusen 'Factory' club made a strong finish to the previous season and landed in fifth place and among the UEFA-Cup qualifiers. This season they kicked-off with a 3:0 home win against Alemannia Aachen. With new signings Sergej Barbarez, Stefan Kießling, Karim Haggui (Racing Straßburg), Alexander Meyer (MSV Duisburg), Pirmin Schwegler (Young Boys Bern) and a number of players from within their own youth side, Bayer will again attempt to reach a European qualifying place. The task will not be an easy one though with the club having lost Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur), Sascha Dum (Alemannia Aachen), Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Timo Röttger (SC Paderborn 07), Jens Nowotny (Dinamo Zagreb) and Clemens Fritz who is now on the Weser.

Leverkusen trainer Michael Skibbe will be without the services of his brazilian international Roque Junior, reserve keeper René Adler (both catching up on training deficit), Alexander Meyer (capsel injury) and Marco Babic who is suspended having picked up a red card last weekend. The Werder coach will be without Naldo (left thigh injury) and Per Mertesacker who is still in rehab after a heel operation.

Johnnie Muldoon