Braga face Bremen mountain

SC Braga will need to produce the comeback of their lives if they are to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup Round of 32.

• Bremen seized the initiative in the first leg with goals from Naldo and Daniel Jensen in the first half and a late penalty from Hugo Almeida earning them a 3-0 win.

• Braga have reason to be frustrated, with both Roland Linz and Jorginho seeing penalty kicks saved by Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese in the first half.

• Braga need to win by at least three goals to have any chance of progressing to the Round of 16. It will be some comfort to them that they beat Hammarby 4-0 at home in the first round of this season's UEFA Cup and overcame FC Slovan Liberec by the same margin in last season's group stage.

• Bremen forward Hugo Almeida could potentially be up against three former team-mates. He played alongside Carlos Fernandes, João Pinto and Zé Manuel during a loan spell at Boavista FC in the 2004/05 season.

• Bremen have now scored 148 UEFA Cup goals and need two more to reach a milestone of 150.

• Bremen qualified for the Round of 32 after finishing third in UEFA Champions League Group C. Braga finished second in UEFA Cup Group F.

• Bremen have now played three games against Portuguese opponents, having met FC Porto in the group stage of the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League. They lost 3-2 in Portugal and 5-0 in the return fixture at the Weserstadion.

• Then coming to the end of his playing career as a defender with the club, Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf was an unused substitute in that ill-fated second fixture. Schaaf is a famous one-club man having worked for Bremen in one position or another since signing up as an eleven-year-old on 1 July 1972.

• A 1-1 draw at home against FC Bayern München in the group stage of this season's UEFA Cup was Braga's third game against German opposition. They have now played four games against German teams, drawing two and losing two. The two draws came in their two previous home games against Bundesliga sides.

• Braga have changed coach since the start of the group stage with Manuel Machado replacing Jorge Costa due to disappointing results in the Portuguese league.

• The aggregate winners will meet the victors of the tie between Rangers FC and Panathinaikos FC in the Round of 16 on 6 and 12/13 March, playing the second leg at home.

• Braga's Paulo Jorge, Stélvio Cruz and Wender are all within a booking of a one-match ban.

• Winter UEFA Cup registrations
Bremen:
In – Ivan Klasnić, Peter Niemeyer, Mesut Özil, Max Kruse.
Out – Leon Andreasen, Pierre Womé, Norman Theuerkaf, Carlos Alberto.
Braga:
In – Miguelito, Pablo Contreras, Matheus.
Out – Hussain Yasser Abdulrahman, Vítor Hugo, Lenny, Anilton Júnior.