Twente look to protect slim lead in Germany

Werder Bremen will look to make their European pedigree count as they welcome FC Twente to the Weserstadion, having lost 1-0 in the opening leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie in Enschede.

• Theo Janssen's long-range strike (39) handed the initiative to Steve McClaren's side, but Bremen showed enough to suggest that the tie is far from over.

Previous meetings
• Prior to the first leg, the two sides had never met in a competitive fixture. Twente have played 12 games against German sides previously and their record is W2 D4 L6 (W0 D2 L3 in Germany). Bremen have fared no better in their 11 matches against Dutch opposition, their record reading W2 D3 L6 (W2 D2 L1 at home).

• The teams met in a friendly in Enschede on 1 August 2000 organised as a benefit for victims of an explosion in a local fireworks factory in May that year. With Sander Boschker in goal for Twente – and Thomas Schaaf coaching Bremen – the game ended 1-1.

Match background
• Twente lost to Olympique de Marseille in last season's UEFA Cup round of 32. It was their first appearance in the spring section of a UEFA club competition since 1977/78, when they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing to RSC Anderlecht.

• Bremen have won all but two of their last nine European home games, the exceptions being a 1-1 draw with AC Milan at this stage of last season's UEFA Cup and a 1-0 defeat by Hamburger SV in the semi-final of the same campaign.

• Twente have lost only one of their last six UEFA club competition away games, earning two wins and three draws.

• With Bremen having scored at least once in their previous ten European games, Twente became the first side to keep a clean sheet against Werder since that home loss to Hamburg last term.

Team facts 
• Bremen's Peter Niemeyer knows Twente well, the German-born centre-back having started his career with the Dutch club, scoring four goals in 106 Eredivisie appearances between 2002 and 2007, when he joined Werder.

• Aside from Niemeyer, three other Bremen players have Eredivisie experience – Petri Pasanen and Markus Rosenberg both played for AFC Ajax while Daniel Jensen started his career at SC Heerenveen.

• Pasanen and Twente goalkeeper Boschker were team-mates at Ajax in 2003/04, while Rosenberg and Kenneth Perez played together at the Amsterdam ArenA in the 2006/07 season.

• Twente's Swiss international striker Blaise Nkufo has Bundesliga experience, having represented 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Hannover 96.

• Twente midfielder Theo Janssen faced Bremen with BV Vitesse in the second round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, with his side progressing thanks to a 2-1 win in Arnhem and a 3-3 draw away.

• Twente's Perez came up against Werder with Ajax in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup round of 32, with the German side prevailing 4-3 on aggregate.

• Twente coach McClaren faced Bundesliga opposition in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup round of 32, with his Middlesbrough FC side eliminating VfB Stuttgart on away goals after a 2-1 win in Germany and a 1-0 home defeat. Boro went on to reach the final, losing 4-0 to Sevilla FC in Eindhoven.

• McClaren was Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant coach at Manchester United FC when they beat FC Bayern München in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League final.

• With just five goals, Twente were the lowest-scoring side to make it through the UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Bremen were the highest-scoring side in the UEFA Europa League group stage with 17 goals.

• The winners of this tie face the victors of the tie between Club Brugge KV and Valencia CF in the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March, playing the second leg at home.

Penalties
• Bremen have never been involved in a penalty shoot-out at European level.

• Twente's only European shoot-out came in last season's round of 32, where they lost out 7-6 on home soil to Olympique de Marseille after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

Twente
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Miroslav Stoch
Players added to squad: Dwight Tiendalli, Wellington
Players removed from squad: Nikita Rukavytsya, Jeroen Heubach, Lesley Nahrwold

Bremen
Suspended: Aaron Hunt
Misses next match if booked: Philipp Bargfrede, Sebastian Boenisch, Daniel Jensen, Markus Rosenberg
Players added to squad: Aymen Abdonnour, Sandro Wagner, Said Husejinović
Players removed from squad: Torsten Oehri, Jurica Vranjes, Marcelo Moreno