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Werder Bremen will be boosted by a full strikeforce as they attempt to keep their Champions League hopes alive with a win against Udinese on Wednesday. Coach Thomas Schaaf welcomes back leading scorer Miroslav Klose and Croatian international Ivan Klasnic for the must-win clash.
Klose, who has notched up 11 goals in Bremen's Bundesliga campaign so far this season, has shaken off a calf injury in time for the Group C encounter.
Strike partner Klasnic returns from suspension after missing out on the first game between the two sides, which resulted in a 1-1 draw, and Schaaf believes the two players will be pivotal to his side's chances of progressing in Europe.
"Together they are quality," said Schaaf. "It's good to know you can count on something that you know works well.
"If we want to keep alive our hopes of reaching the next round, we have to win."
DOMESTIC CLASS
Bremen have impressed in their domestic campaign thus far this season, and currently sit second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
But the German side have failed to bring that form into the Champions League, scoring just twice in their first three games to leave them bottom of Group C.
"We have proven in the Bundesliga that we can create an enormous amount of pressure up front, it's time we showed that on the European stage," added Schaaf.
The Werder coach will be without centre-half Petri Pasanen, who is lacking match fitness, but believes his side are capable of the three points, as long as they do not allow their Italian opponents too much into the game.
"The result depends on us, how strongly we perform and how much we allow them to play."
WERDER FAVOURITES
Udinese sit three points ahead of Werder in second place, but coach Serse Cosmi is adamant that the hosts start the match as favourites.
"They've deserved more than they've achieved in this competition and are favourites to win on Wednesday," he said. "But that doesn't mean we'll be going there to get a draw."
Cosmi will be without combative Portuguese midfielder Jose Luis Vidigal for the clash, but insists that the fact that Udinese are not a "big-name side" could work in their favour.
"One shouldn't forget that we are Udinese, not Milan or Barcelona," he said. "Yet we are here to play in the Champions League and that is a huge success for us."
And the Bianconeri coach feels that the pressure is all on the home side, who need to win to keep their European hopes alive.
"We will do our best to play well in Bremen and they have to win, which would work to our advantage."
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Source: Eurosport |
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