Werder Bremen: Ole Werner Aims to Delight Freimarkt Fans

The Hanseatic derby under floodlights kicks off Bremen's Freimarkt

Bremen coach Ole Werner is looking forward to the Hanseatic derby against Hamburger SV amidst the glittering lights of the Freimarkt funfair.

Bremen (dpa) - Werder Bremen coach Ole Werner is relishing the prospect of the Hanseatic derby against rivals Hamburger SV under the floodlights at the wohninvest WESERSTADION on Saturday (6:30 pm), with the game kicking off the city's Freimarkt funfair.

"Everyone is fired up for the derby and the Freimarkt. The atmosphere will be brilliant with the floodlights on," said Werner on Thursday.

The 34-year-old is expecting a "very intense game" against HSV, who are currently 10th in the 2. Bundesliga, three places and three points behind Werder. "We have to perform at our best to win the game," Werner said.

Werner is likely to make changes to the team that lost 2-1 at Darmstadt last weekend, with Jens Stage, Romano Schmid and Oliver Burke all pushing for a starting place.

Werder have won their last two games against HSV, including a 3-2 victory in the corresponding fixture last season. However, Werner is taking nothing for granted.

"HSV have a good team and they will be dangerous on the break," he said. "We need to be aware of their threats and make sure we defend well."

A win for Werder would see them move up to fourth in the table, while a defeat could see them drop to eighth.

The Freimarkt is a centuries-old funfair that attracts millions of visitors to Bremen every year. The fairground is located on the Bürgerweide, a large open space near the city center.

The Hanseatic derby is one of the most intense rivalries in German football. The two clubs are located just 100 kilometers apart and have a long history of competing against each other.