Pressure no problem for Anorthosis

Coach Temuri Ketsbaia believes Anorthosis Famagusta FC will be unfazed by the pressure as they take on Werder Bremen aiming to secure a historic place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Historic qualification
The Cypriot champions are second in Group B, one point above Panathinaikos FC – who visit leaders FC Internazionale Milano in the section's other Matchday 5 fixture – and two points clear of bottom side Bremen. An Anorthosis victory coupled with Panathinaikos losing in Milan would take the Cypriot team into the knockout stage in their debut UEFA Champions League campaign. "Pressure is a good thing," said Ketsbaia, whose charges were 2-1 winners at Apollon Limassol FC on Saturday. "When a team don't play under pressure, their performance can be indifferent. We're used to playing under pressure. The main thing is to control and channel it so the players are in the right frame of mind to go for victory."

Impressive results
Anorthosis have already surpassed expectations. The underdogs were tipped to fall at the first hurdle, but their 40-year-old Georgian coach's patient tactics have paid off with a 3-1 success against Panathinaikos and a 3-3 draw with Inter in their first two home fixtures. "This is a very big match, not only for Anorthosis but for all Cypriot football," said Ketsbaia. "It's very pleasing to know we are four games into the Champions League and are still battling for a place in the next round. The players have already outdone themselves by getting this far. It was never an easy thing for a Cypriot side to break into, and compete, in a competition like the Champions League. It needed a huge effort from everyone at the club and, most importantly, the players believed in themselves. If a player goes into a game thinking he cannot win then it's already lost."

Injury concerns
Ketsbaia is without midfielders Paulo Costa (flu) and Cédric Bardon (ankle) while goalkeeper Arian Beqaj has succumbed to a sprained ankle. Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf welcomes defenders Sebastian Boenisch and Clemens Fritz back from injury, with the latter likely to begin at right-back as the German outfit bid to improve on their goalless draw with Anorthosis on Matchday 1. Centre-back Petri Pasanen has recovered from an eye problem and should also start, but striker Boubacar Sanogo has flu and has not travelled.

Inconsistent
Bremen lost 2-1 at Hamburger SV on Sunday, slipping to ninth in the Bundesliga. Inconsistency has undermined their campaign and, in Europe at least, time is running out. "We must win this match," Schaaf said. "We aim to be disciplined and get the right result. We will need to improve against Anorthosis." As Bremen target their first victory in the section, Schaaf was generous in his praise for the home team, adding: "In football anything can happen. Maybe some people thought Anorthosis would finish bottom of this group, but they have shown they are a good side with experienced players. Their results in qualifying and in the group games have shown they are deservedly second and I congratulate them for their achievement."