Schaaf salutes Anorthosis achievement

Coach Thomas Schaaf says Werder Bremen's Matchday 1 opponents Anorthosis Famagusta FC have "put in an unbelievable effort" to qualify for Group B – even if FC Internazionale Milano and Panathinaikos FC are the German club's main rivals.

Respect due
Having overcome FC Pyunik, SK Rapid Wien and Olympiacos CFP to reach the group stage, the Cypriot champions have earned their right to sit at Europe's top table. So the Bremen boss is not about to take Temuri Ketsbaia's side lightly. He said: "All these small teams qualified for this stage by beating higher-profile sides, so they must be strong. They know how exciting the Champions League is and put in an unbelievable effort. These teams concentrated and focused so hard in the qualifiers that they got through."

Lessons learned
Bremen host Anorthosis on Tuesday with three points the target. "A good start is always a positive," Schaaf said. "If you can dominate and beat your opponents, it's good for the team and for morale. It's good to know you can win games – that's very important." The 47-year-old hopes his side can "play an important role" in this season's competition, explaining: "We have been gaining experience over the last few years and we have also played Panathinaikos and Inter before, so we know what to expect from the stadiums and from the opposition. It's going to be very exciting."

False start
Schaaf's men have made a shaky start in the Bundesliga, taking two points from their first three matches – "we just haven't been at the top of our game". They will need to peak soon if they are to attain Schaaf's knockout-stage goal. "We always set high standards," he said. "When we reach them we can see what else is possible. If we play well, I believe we can reach the knockout stage and then have the ability to go even further. But first we have to survive the group stage and this will be difficult enough."

Group complexion
"Inter are the clear group favourites," he went on. "They are the team with the big name and the famous coach [José Mourinho]. Without a doubt, Inter have the potential to go far in this competition. Then there are teams, with Panathinaikos and ourselves, who most people would think will scrap for second place, and Famagusta who are the unknown newcomers, but no less dangerous." Finally, a note of caution about Bremen's ability to cope with Europe's élite: "We know we have to face the top clubs, in a financial sense as well as a sporting one, and that won't always be an even contest."