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Janko wary of Bremen counter punch

FC Twente striker Marc Janko warned that SV Werder Bremen were like "a wounded boxer" as the bottom sides in Group A meet, adding: "If we want to go through we have to win."

Marc Janko expects Bremen to come out fighting in Enschede
Marc Janko expects Bremen to come out fighting in Enschede ©Getty Images

Marc Janko is wary of off-colour SV Werder Bremen as his FC Twente side look to secure their first UEFA Champions League group stage win against their fellow back markers in the section.

Thomas Schaaf's team lie 11th in the Bundesliga and started their Group A campaign with a 2-2 draw at home against Tottenham Hotspur FC, followed by a 4-0 defeat at FC Internazionale Milano. However, the 27-year-old Janko felt that Bremen's sheer unpredictability was a cause for concern.

"You can compare them with a wounded boxer in the ring," said the tall marksman, who left FC Salzburg for Enschede in the summer. "That can be when a fighter is at their most dangerous. You don't know what they will do. It will be a difficult game for us.

"Bremen are a top-class side and they have been at the top end of the German league in recent years," he added. "That might not be the case right now, but it is the same with [FC] Bayern [München], and they are still strong too. They have a lot of quality, but hopefully we can find a way to break them down and gain the win."

Victory at this stage is crucial. With both sides recording a draw and a loss after two games, they are already three points off the section's leading pair, who also meet on Wednesday. However, Janko said: "We will have to play a controlled attacking game. We cannot play a hara-kiri style. We have to try and get shots on goal and score.

"It is going to be difficult for both sides," he added. "Having the fans behind us for the full 90 minutes helps you forget when you are tired; when you are behind they push you even harder. There's a good atmosphere here. Both teams have one point now and if we want to go through we have to win. We will do everything to achieve that."

Janko, meanwhile, is eager to get his name on the scoresheet a little more often. He has yet to find the net in Group A, and while four goals in nine Eredivisie games is a decent start, the Austrian international still feels he can do better. "The important thing is that the chances are coming," he said. "Unfortunately, I haven't scored that many, but it would be great to score [against Bremen]. To start with, I had to adapt to the game here which is a bit faster than in Austria. In the last match, I took a step forward. I can still improve myself."

 

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