Following the triumphant 5-1 victory over the Berliners, the Green-Whites are flying high as Panathinaikos visits for their Champions League match at Weserstadion today. Following the draw in Athens, Group B is wide open with Inter Milan holding the top spot down with seven points, Cypriot squad Anorthosis second with four and Werder at third and Henk Ten Cate's club following with three and one point respectively. A win for the Green-Whites, particularly in conjunction with a Inter win would see their hopes for advancing to the knockout round increase significantly.In addressing the opportunity Thomas Schaaf said:
"Draws will not get you into the next round of this competition. Our aim is to progress and to do that we need to start winning. At least we don't have to rely on anybody except ourselves."
Panathinaikos is likely to play a highly defensive match and nullify the Werder attack as they did at the Olympic Stadium in Athens as evidenced by Henk Ten Cate's comment that they will keep them "as far from goal as possible".
Werder will welcome back Clemens Fritz to the pitch. Prior to the match he showed how anxious he is to get back to playing by stating:
"I would have preferred to have gone without this week of rehabilitation training. I’m sick and tired of all the talk. I am well aware of the fact that I haven’t started the season particularly well and had a couple of poor games, but I think that goes for everyone in the team. The same thing has been churned out for weeks now and at some stage you really start to believe that you are in poor physical condition."
"I feel good and am looking to force my way back into the team through good performances in training. I’m just looking to the future now, the rest I can leave behind me. The team took its first positive step forward with the win over Hertha and I want to win back my place in order to help the team in moving further up the table."
Thomas Schaaf commented before todays match that the squad is fit:
"No-one is carrying any knocks. Everyone got off the pitch unscathed".
Werder will however be without Torsten Frings as he is under suspension.
Panathinaikos will miss Austrian international Andreas Ivanschitz, young Greek international Sotiris Ninis and Souza.
