Bremen (dpa / lni) – With the prospect of a close game, coach Ole Werner and Werder Bremen go into the duel with relegation-threatened 1. FC Cologne. Werner said before the game on Friday (8:30 p.m./DAZN) that the people of Cologne can feel the breath of fresh air. Looking at the arena in the cathedral city, the 35-year-old said: “An atmospheric stadium that awaits us. We certainly have to be prepared for that too.”
After 21 match days, 1. FC Köln is in 16th place in the table with 16 points. At the beginning of January, Cologne appointed Timo Schultz as their new coach. Since the 4-0 home defeat against Borussia Dortmund, FC have not lost and have taken five points from three games. Cologne have “stabilized,” Werner attested at the press conference on Wednesday, adding: “They have even more speed on the pitch.”
Last season Bremen lost 1:7 in Cologne. However, the bitter defeat has no significance for the duel on Friday, said Werner. “If I start with this now, many people who weren’t there won’t be interested at all. I think it will be similar on the Cologne side too. There were changes there too, a different coach.”
With a win on the Rhine, Werder, who are currently in tenth place with 26 points, could increase their lead over the hosts to 13 points. However, looking at the standings has no particular meaning for Ole Werner at this point in the season: “On the 22nd matchday, the table doesn’t play a big role. Unlike maybe two matchdays before the end, where you can no longer move up if you get the same result the winning goal goes, or conversely another team throws everything forward again.”
Bremen could start in Cologne for the first time with winter newcomer Julián Malatini in the starting line-up. “We know that he is a young player who certainly still has development potential and still has to get used to a lot of things,” said Werner. But the coach also emphasized: “Overall, he’s doing everything well.” The defender moved from the Argentine club Defensa y Justicia to the Bundesliga club Weser in mid-January. He scored one goal in three substitute appearances. In the 3-1 home win over SC Freiburg, the South American scored the final goal in stoppage time.
Werder goes into the duel in Cologne with an extremely tense personnel situation. Three central defenders are out: Amos Pieper, Niklas Stark and Milos Veljkovic. Midfielders Naby Keita (gastrointestinal infection) and Leon Opitz are also unavailable for the floodlit game on Friday evening.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240214-99-986984/3
2024-02-14 18:16:10
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