Wiese bounces back with Bremen

It is a moment Tim Wiese would rather forget. With only two minutes to play against Juventus and his side on course for a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season the Werder Bremen goalkeeper came to claim a corner. He caught the ball but spilled it as he hit the ground and Emerson gleefully rolled it into the unguarded net. Bremen were out, Weise distraught.

'Slept terribly'
"Of course I slept terribly that night, but the next day it was all forgotten," Wiese told uefa.com. "You have to get over things like that quickly." The self-assured 24-year-old has made a habit of bouncing back having seen his short career already blighted by injury. He will have an excellent opportunity to put that mistake behind him once and for all when Bremen visit the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Avoid defeat and the German side are through, knocking out defending champions FC Barcelona in the process. "I'm certain we'll win 1-0 and reach the last 16. Of course the pundits and fans have labelled us outsiders, but we see ourselves on a par with Barça and believe we have a good chance."

Confidence
At 1.91m with a muscular frame Wiese is built to play in goal. He is blessed with quick reflexes for such a big man and after a superb start to the season he travels to Catalonia with the confidence of a player at the top of his game. That Bremen are so close to causing a major upset in Group A is thanks in large part to the former German Under-21 international who kept Chelsea FC at bay two weeks ago to rachet up the pressure on Barça. Wiese's reaction save from Michael Ballack's point-blank volley just before half-time then sprawling second-half stops from Andriy Shevchenko and Joe Cole ensured a 1-0 win.

'Spirit'
Having proved themselves against the English champions, Wiese sees no reason for Bremen to change their game against Barcelona, who were fortunate to leave the Weserstadion with a point on Matchday 1. "We play good and controlled offensive football, are stable in defence and show great team spirit," he said. "We must stick to our style and play offensively in Barcelona. There is no need to change or act defensively." He for one will be preparing for the game as he would any other. "For me the match against Barça is like facing DSC Arminia Bielefeld. I won't pay particular attention to players such as Ronaldinho. I will just take the shots as they come."

Injuries
Taking the shots as they come is something Wiese has been doing to great acclaim since joining Bayer 04 Leverkusen as an eleven-year-old. Wiese learned the ropes with the 2002 UEFA Champions League finalists but had to move to find first-team football, first to SC Fortuna Köln then on to 1. FC Kaiserslautern mid-way through the 2001/02 season. His progress was disrupted by knee ligament injuries, first in 2004, seven months before a free transfer to Bremen, then on his debut for the northern club in a friendly against FC Hansa Rostock ahead of last season.

'Cruel'
Having suffered so much through injury himself, it was with a heavy heart that he took the pitch to replace Andreas Reinke on 8 February to finally make his league debut for the club. Reinke had suffered a fractured skull in a collision with VfB Stuttgart's Martin Stranzl, putting Wiese’s own problems into perspective. "Sport can be so cruel sometimes," he said. "When I went on, I saw his blood on the pitch and knew the injury was a terrible one."

Young stars
Wiese has held on to the No1 spot since then, establishing himself as a key member of Thomas Schaaf's side and making a strong case for a call up to the national team. Alongside Clemens Fritz, Per Mertesacker and Diego, Wiese represents the future for both club and country. At Bremen that quartet's youthful exuberance complements the experience of Tim Borowski, Torsten Frings and Miroslav Klose. The blend of technical skill and German discipline has taken Bremen a long way this season as they mount a sustained challenge on the Bundesliga title as well as punching above their weight in the UEFA Champions League.

Motivation
The biggest challenge of all comes on Tuesday and Wiese insists Bremen will not be overawed. Wiese prays before each match but as a self-confessed Real Madrid CF supporter, he is unlikely to visit the chapel at the Camp Nou. At one of football's greatest shrines, it might not be necessary. "The fact that there will be 100,000 fans at Camp Nou will only motivate me more," he said, before adding, perhaps with a nod to Turin last March, "at such a high level every little thing counts. Every mistake is immediately punished." Having learned that the hard way, Wiese is ready to make amends on an even bigger stage.