Bremen backs to the wall

Werder Bremen will be aiming to revive their UEFA Champions League ambitions following two losses when they take on an S.S. Lazio side also seeking a first win in Group C. While unbeaten Lazio at least have two draws to their name, Bremen go into the game knowing that anything but victory would leave them with a mountain to climb to qualify for the knockout stages.

• The Bundesliga club suffered a damaging home defeat by Olympiacos CFP on Matchday 2 when they surrendered a 1-0 lead given them by Hugo Almeida, conceding three goals in the closing 17 minutes to go down 3-1. To rub salt into Bremen's wounds, it was Olympiacos' first away win in 32 attempts in the UEFA Champions League.

• It was the second successive game that Thomas Schaaf's team had lost in the final quarter following their opening 2-1 reverse at Real Madrid CF. Boubacar Sanogo's first-half equaliser in Madrid appeared to have put Bremen on course for a point until Ruud van Nistelrooy netted the winner with 16 minutes remaining.

• Despite their disappointing start, Bremen may take heart from their recovery from an identical position in the 2005/06 season. That year they finished with seven points and second place in their group – and indeed became the first side since 2002/03 to have lost three group games yet still advanced.

• Lazio are looking to build on draws away against Olympiacos and at home to Madrid. Delio Rossi's side showed plenty of spirit by fighting back to claim a point in both games. After Luciano Zauri's 77th-minute strike had earned the Biancocelesti a 1-1 draw in Greece on Matchday 1, Goran Pandev took over the role of rescuer against Madrid on 3 October, scoring on 32 and 75 minutes to twice cancel out goals from Van Nistelrooy.

• Lazio have not won any of their last seven UEFA Champions League group stage games. Their most recent victory in the competition, qualifying rounds apart, was on 16 September 2003 when goals from Jaap Stam and Stefano Fiore secured a 2-0 success at Beşiktaş JK.

• Bremen are undefeated at home against Italian opposition. Their nine previous matches have produced four wins and five draws with the most recent visitors from Serie A, Juventus, succumbing 3-2 in a first knockout round match in 2005/06.

• Christian Schulz, Tim Borowski and Johan Micoud got the goals for Bremen that night but they subsequently lost the tie on away goals after a 2-1 defeat in Turin.

• Bremen last tasted victory on Italian soil when they won 3-2 at then holders SSC Napoli in the third round of the UEFA Cup in 1989/90. Frank Neubarth, Karlheinz Riedle and Wynton Rufer were the scorers.

• Lazio's most recent German opponents were Bayer 04 Leverkusen with whom they played out 1-1 draws both at home and away in the first group stage of the 1999/00 UEFA Champions League.

• Prior to that the Rome club's only other encounter with a Bundesliga team was in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup where they met BV Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals, winning 1-0 at home but going down 2-0 away.

• Bremen coach Schaaf had mixed fortunes as a player against Italian sides. He was part of the first Bremen team to win in Italy, recording a 1-0 victory at Hellas-Verona FC in the 1987/88 UEFA Cup quarter-final. Two seasons later, however, he tasted defeat on away goals against ACF Fiorentina at the semi-final stage of the same competition.

• Bremen midfielder Jurica Vranješ and Lazio defender Lionel Scaloni have both played in the same UEFA Champions League game – in the second group stage of the 2001/02 season when Vranješ' Bayer 04 Leverkusen defeated Scaloni's RC Deportivo La Coruña 3-0. However, they have never played against each other in European competition because Scaloni was substituted after 71 minutes in that fixture while Vranješ only entered the game three minutes from time.