Ajax v Werder Bremen

To be played at Bremen's Weserstadion, on Wednesday 14 February 2007, kick-off time 20:30 CET.
The return leg at the Amsterdam ArenA is eight days later: Thursday 22 February 2007, at 21:00 CET.


The biggest game of the UEFA Cup, shame it would have made a great final, only one side will go through .. Bremen will start as favourites for sure (due to their run in the Champions League and form in Germany mixed with Ajax's indifferent form this season). However lets hope for one 'hell of a game'..


Ajax vs SV Werder Bremen: The History

The Werder Bremen games in February will be the 17th time since 1957 for Ajax to play a German side in UEFA competition, if you count all East-German (DDR) and West-German (BRD) sides from the years before 1989. Ajax played 14 different German clubs in total (there were three encounters with Bayern München), but SV Werder Bremen, remarkable, never came out of the bowl.

Ajax and Werder Bremen go way back, nonetheless. The first ever friendly fixture between the red and white from Amsterdam and Bremen's green and white was played on 11 May 1913 in Amsterdam. Ajax won: 1-0. The second (and most recent) encounter with Werder Bremen was on German soil, 64 years later. On 24 May 1977 the two clubs settled for a 1-1 draw. Thirty years later, and 94 years after their first ever friendly in Amsterdam, Ajax and Werder Bremen meet for the third time.

For what it's worth: Ajax have a remarkably wonderful record against German opposition in UEFA competition. Ajax faced German opposition 16 times so far - and advanced no less than 14 times. Bayern München are the only German side to have knocked Ajax out of 'Europe'. That was in 1980. Bayern also beat Ajax on aggregate in 2004, but that was in the group phase of the Champions League. Ajax finished third in the group and continued their journey in the UEFA Cup.

For all other German teams Ajax were too high a hurdle: SC Wismut (1957), 1. FC Nürnberg (1968), Hannover '96 (1969), Carl-Zeiss Jena (1970), Dynamo Dresden (1971), Bayern München (1973), Hertha BSC Berlin (1975), Lokomotive Leipzig (Cup Winners Cup final 1987), Hamburger SV (1987), Rot-Weiss Erfurt (1991), 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1992), Bayern München (1995), Borussia Dortmund (1996) and VfL Bochum (1997) - they all crashed out against Ajax.


Reactions

"Out of the Champions League cast-offs Werder Bremen are easily the strongest side. They are a supreme candidate to lift the UEFA Cup at the end of the season. On a good day we could cause an upset. Nothing is impossible. However, we will have to be top in both games. I mean: they are the league leaders in the Bundesliga. I think it's a beautiful draw, anyway. An encounter between a German and a Dutch side is always something special." - Henk ten Cate, Ajax head-coach.

"I don't need to say much about Ajax Amsterdam. They've won many, many Dutch titles. This is a very attractive draw. We continue to play teams from the 'Champions League category'. Ajax were almost always there in recent seasons. Our fans will also understand what the name of this opponent stands for. No-one can have any doubts about the attractivity of the UEFA Cup anymore." - Thomas Schaaf, SV Werder Bremen head-coach.

Easy - the winner has about 70% of lifting the cup. The confidence that the winner will get will be immense. Though AZ is still in the UEFA cup.

Werder have the upperhand IMO - Ajax are shambolic. You never know what side will turn up.

it is a good thing Werder Bremen are the HUGE favourites.... This only helps Ajax to keep their feets on the ground...

so who knows.....

DD wrote:Easy - the winner has about 70% of lifting the cup. The confidence that the winner will get will be immense. Though AZ is still in the UEFA cup.

Werder have the upperhand IMO - Ajax are shambolic. You never know what side will turn up.

I think that 70% statement is rather optimistic. There are still some strong teams in there besides these two. I don't think Ajax have much chance of winning the UEFA cup anyway. I think they are clear underdogs for this tie as well.

According to Otto, two of the most romantic sides in Europe. Lets hope it doesnt descend into some sort of gay orgy.

Should be a good game, I expect Bremen will probably go through,

although personally I think the Spurs V Feyenoord game is bigger

The Real White Powder wrote:According to Otto, two of the most romantic sides in Europe. Lets hope it doesnt descend into some sort of gay orgy.

Should be a good game, I expect Bremen will probably go through,

although personally I think the Spurs V Feyenoord game is bigger

Outside the stadium it is.....

But inside the stadium .... Jol's boys are already through to next round....

toon h wrote:

DD wrote:Easy - the winner has about 70% of lifting the cup. The confidence that the winner will get will be immense. Though AZ is still in the UEFA cup.

Werder have the upperhand IMO - Ajax are shambolic. You never know what side will turn up.

I think that 70% statement is rather optimistic. There are still some strong teams in there besides these two. I don't think Ajax have much chance of winning the UEFA cup anyway. I think they are clear underdogs for this tie as well.

It was. I still think that AZ have a HUGE chace of reaching the final. Van Gaal might be a c*nt, but his team are rabid killers that play sexy football.

DD wrote:

toon h wrote:

DD wrote:Easy - the winner has about 70% of lifting the cup. The confidence that the winner will get will be immense. Though AZ is still in the UEFA cup.

Werder have the upperhand IMO - Ajax are shambolic. You never know what side will turn up.

I think that 70% statement is rather optimistic. There are still some strong teams in there besides these two. I don't think Ajax have much chance of winning the UEFA cup anyway. I think they are clear underdogs for this tie as well.

It was. I still think that AZ have a HUGE chace of reaching the final. Van Gaal might be a c*nt, but his team are rabid killers that play sexy football.

Agreed....but they also completely f#ck up once in a while, especially in games that matter.

So I'm hoping.....but I'm not believing

Yawwwwwn. Close this please, the match is still a month away ffs. Ans it's already a formality anyway. Ajax has no chance or whatsoever. I still remember Munchen a few years ago, I expect a same sort scenario.

Anyway, Bremen to the next round easily. Feyenoord-Spuds is the real big game in the UEFA-cup. Spurs would have been favourite a few months ago, but with our latest talents. Castelen back and Harry actually scoring goals. Thank god I aint support Spurs, cause you are going down my friends

@ Fey

Football is a 'funny' game .. Ajax will relish being the underdogs.

Ajax looked very poor against Den Haag, they have half their defence missing through injuries.

So it'll probably Klose vs Heitinga

Werder on the other hand looked like amateurs this weekend when they got hit by fast players on a break....and Ajax will most likely start with Leonardo and Babel.

Looks like it's gonna be 4-4 or something like that !

What would Spurs' allocation have been had they played away to Feyenoord and just how bad do the Dutch on here think the trouble would have been ?

Feyenoord sound a bit mental.

Axeslammer ! wrote:Ajax looked very poor against Den Haag, they have half their defence missing through injuries.

So it'll probably Klose vs Heitinga

Werder on the other hand looked like amateurs this weekend when they got hit by fast players on a break....and Ajax will most likely start with Leonardo and Babel.

Looks like it's gonna be 4-4 or something like that !

Funnily enough, I think they're evenly matched now. Should be a good game wednesday night.

Bremen will win, Ajax simply are going to play for a 'positive result'

No; Huntelaar, Davids, Urby or Vermaelen

Why does Huntelaar not play?

Huntelaar has only scored yesterday for the first time in two months. He's ice cold - and doesn't fit in the current Ajax.

Babel and (thank god) Leonardo are prefered over him. They also make a more fluid attack, and fit Ten Cate's Ajax much better.

Huntelaar is still a supersub.

DD wrote:Huntelaar has only scored yesterday for the first time in two months. He's ice cold - and doesn't fit in the current Ajax.

Babel and (thank god) Leonardo are prefered over him. They also make a more fluid attack, and fit Ten Cate's Ajax much better.

Huntelaar is still a supersub.

Oh, I thought Huntelaar is your biggest striker talent and untouchable at Ajax. Is it true then, Ajax's current coach doesn't like Huntelaar? Rosenberg was supposing that in an interview on Werder TV today...

Its true. Ten Cate has even tried to change Huntelaar's game. As a result (combined with Huntelaar's second season syndrome), Huntelaar has been less effective and dissapointing, because he's not playing, or being allowed to play his game. Plus, he has been lacking proper service. Its not all his fault.

He's still (one of) the biggest striker talents we got. He needs to get away from Ajax though, because they're ruining his game.

Huntelaar is SUSPENDED!

HE HAS 5 YELLOW CARDS, HE MISSES THE GAME.

Stefan Kuntz wrote:What would Spurs' allocation have been had they played away to Feyenoord and just how bad do the Dutch on here think the trouble would have been ?

Feyenoord sound a bit mental.

1,800 for away fans. Wouldn't have been any trouble, unless caused by Spuds fans.


'sound' suggests hearsay.

Nobody was injured in Nancy. They still have an ongoing French investigation against their own police prefect. In UEFA's initail verdict Feyenoord was judged to have done everything in it's power to prevent what happened. Strangely after the draw was made (Feyenoord - Spurs), the appeal led to a much more severe verdict (balming Feyenoord for everything). This could well have been caused by riots on previous occassions when Spuds & Feyenoord met. There were major riots twice (1974 & 1983). TWICE Spuds fans caused these riots (UEFA ruling), tiwce dozens of Feyenoord fans were severly injured (in 83 many stabbed).

What happened in Italy made sure we wouldn't have a fair appeal at CAS.

We've been used to make an example, even though we did far less than fans of other clubs and countries.

DD wrote:Its true. Ten Cate has even tried to change Huntelaar's game. As a result (combined with Huntelaar's second season syndrome), Huntelaar has been less effective and dissapointing, because he's not playing, or being allowed to play his game. Plus, he has been lacking proper service. Its not all his fault.

He's still (one of) the biggest striker talents we got. He needs to get away from Ajax though, because they're ruining his game.

Hmm, is it likely then he leaves Ajax at the end of the season? If we have to replace Klose in the summer, we might have enough money to buy him, should he consider a move to Werder Bremen...

chrissicross wrote:Why does Huntelaar not play?

Besides the fact that he's suspended (he wouldn't have started anyway) it's due to Ajax playing the wrong system for him.

Huntelaar was lethal for Heerenveen in a 4-4-2.

Ajax had to acomodate him last season, they were desperate and so they switched to 4-4-2 : Huntelaar was lethal again (Rosenberg also turned out to be a decent player in a 4-4-2).

Now they've reverted to their traditional 4-3-3 and that doesn't suit Huntelaar (because of that ? ) he's gone off form....and that's where we are at the moment.

heerenveen played 4-3-3 with Huntelaar in the squad...
Last year Ajax played 4-3-3 with huntelaar
All the fuzz about Ten Cate hates Huntelaar is just overrated

I fancy Werder's chances: they never managed a win v a Dutch club, so it's very likely they get one now.

2002/03 UEFA Cup (2nd round)
Vitesse - Werder Bremen 2-1
Werder Bremen - Vitesse 3-3

1995/96 UEFA Cup (3rd round)
PSV - Werder Bremen 2-1
Werder Bremen - PSV 0-0

1994/95 Cup Winners Cup* (2nd round)
Feyenoord - Werder Bremen 1-0
Werder Bremen - Feyenoord 3-4

*VI should get their facts straight.

jonathan de guzman wrote:

1994/95 UEFA Cup (2nd round)
Feyenoord - Werder Bremen 1-0
Werder Bremen - Feyenoord 3-4

I remember how excited I was about that one, *legendary* away leg from Feyenoord !

Wasn't it JD Tomasson that was on fire that day ?

Axeslammer wrote:

jonathan de guzman wrote:

1994/95 UEFA Cup (2nd round)
Feyenoord - Werder Bremen 1-0
Werder Bremen - Feyenoord 3-4

I remember how excited I was about that one, *legendary* away leg from Feyenoord !

Wasn't it JD Tomasson that was on fire that day ?

Was agreat match indeed.

It was Henke Larsson, who was magic that day. Tomasson was still at Heerenveen those days. He arrived at Feyenoord in 1998.

Feyenoord - Werder Bremen 1:0 (0:0)
Larsson 63
Werder Bremen - FEYENOORD 3:4 (1:2)
Beschastnykh 12, 60, Basler 90 - Larsson 21, 34, 66 p, Heus 56 p

Huntelaar will not leave, Ten Cate will leave

If Ajax had a choice; Ten Cate or De Hunter ... De Hunter stays

van Basten + Frank de Boer will take over in the summer.

jonathan de guzman wrote:

Axeslammer wrote:

jonathan de guzman wrote:

1994/95 UEFA Cup (2nd round)
Feyenoord - Werder Bremen 1-0
Werder Bremen - Feyenoord 3-4

I remember how excited I was about that one, *legendary* away leg from Feyenoord !

Wasn't it JD Tomasson that was on fire that day ?

Was agreat match indeed.

It was Henke Larsson, who was magic that day. Tomasson was still at Heerenveen those days. He arrived at Feyenoord in 1998.

I knew it was a Scandinavian player.

I can't remember anything of the match (I was probably pretty drunk) though I have strong memories of the excitement.

"Kenners halen Henke in huis" was a popular saying in those days

Good gin/jenever Henkes, especially because it's from my ditrcit of Rotterdam (Delfshaven). Though I think Ketel 1 is better.

By the way everybody except Arie Haan knew henke was class at Feyenoord. Everytime I see Haan I think of his Larsson blunder.

Apaarnetly even great players/managers can wrongly rate strikers too low just because they're not getting any service. Had to think of the Larsson situation when van Basten rated Ruud's performance v Ivory Coast as not good enough. I though his performance deserved an 8, because he did the best possible with the chances he got.