Werder Win Game

Former champions Werder Bremen battled relegation for the first half of the Bundesliga season but a four-game winning streak, including Sunday’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, has turned their campaign around.
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Werder’s fine run of form has moved them up to eighth in the standings, with new coach Viktor Skripnik re-instilling a winning mentality at the 2004 German champions.
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Under Skripnik, who took charge in late November and is assisted by former Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings, Werder have won five of eight league games, losing two and drawing one.
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“We are now in an attractive position,” Skripnik told reporters. “It’s a fantastic thing but we still want to improve, we want to become better and prove it every week.”
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Werder have done exactly that during Skripnik’s time in charge and his side have beaten Champions League clubs Borussia Dortmund and Leverkusen in their last four games.
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The 45-year-old Ukrainian coach, who played for Werder from 1996-2004, has transformed the club’s fortunes despite not having money to spend on players like rivals Hamburg SV.
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Instead, Skripnik has brought out the best of his existing players, something his predecessor Robin Dutt failed to achieve.
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Argentine striker Franco Di Santo has been in sensational form in recent weeks, while 20-year-old Davie Selke has been a revelation this season and his stunning volley against Leverkusen on Sunday left Werder fans dreaming of Europe.
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However, Skripnik believes his side have work to do before qualifying for Europe becomes a reality.
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“We continue to look down and not up,” he said. “We want to continue developing and will work meticulously to do it.”
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With high-flying Augsburg travelling to Bremen on Saturday, Werder will have every chance to prove their current form is no fluke.