Matarazzo: "The victory has unleashed energy"

Pellegrino Matarazzo on…

…the mood after the victory against Dortmund: "When you wait so long for a win, it's clear that the mood is very positive. The boys are more open, the victory has unleashed energy."

…the match against Bremen: "The triumph against Dortmund was very important, but the next win will be important too. We've changed the whole energy and want to go on the attack. In Bremen, we're up against the third-strongest team in the second half-season. We have a big task ahead of us. We'll have to work for it again. Our foundation remains to be solid and maintain the forward momentum"

…Werder's strengths: "They defend diligently and concede few goals from open play. Offensively, they have good players available who have clear and stable processes. Bremen also get in behind quickly."

…the defence: "We've definitely stabilised defensively. Dortmund scored from two set-pieces, they didn't create much from open play. The way we defended against BVB in the second half is our reference point. If we continue to play with this intensity going forward too, we'll win a lot of games."

…Dennis Geiger: "We were all delighted for Dennis. He had to watch on for so long. Everyone congratulated him. We've seen what he can give us. It's a blend of footballing class and an aggressive approach. I can't give a timeframe for when he'll be back to 100%. He'll be given the time he needs. We want him to stay fit in the long term."

…Tim Drexler's contract extension: "He's a good kid who is fast. He's also very courageous for his age and shows that in training. Tim is a player with prospects. He should be developed into a squad player by the summer at the latest. That's the club's approach. I'm delighted for every young player who earn a place in our squad."

The personnel situation:

In addition to Grischa Prömel, Mergim Berisha and Marco John, Robert Skov is also unavailable. Kevin Akpoguma will also be sidelined due to his back problems. Andrej Kramarić's involvement is still doubtful following his injury in the Dortmund match. Tom Bischof and Bambasé Conté are fit again, while Stanley Nsoki has served his suspension and is back in contention.

Head-to-head record:

The two clubs are set for their 30th meeting in the Bundesliga. Bremen currently have the better head-to-head record with 11 wins and eight defeats (plus 10 draws). But TSG have come out on top in both of the last two meetings (3-2 and 2-1).

The opposition's form:

Werder Bremen have had a strong second half-season to date, picking up 13 points already. With 30 points, coach Ole Werner's team are behind TSG in eighth place only on account of their inferior goal difference.

Match facts and statistics »