Bremen Test Match: For Bittencourt, It Feels Like a Training Session
Reunion with Werder Colleagues! After seven years in Bremen, Leonardo Bittencourt (32) has returned to his youth club Energie Cottbus. On Saturday (August 1st), the new signing faces his former club Werder in a special duel: For the second-tier ascender, it's against Bittencourts ex-club at LEAG Energie Stadion (3 p.m.). The Hammer Test before the league start against Hannover 96.
Bittencourt shares his expectations for the game: „We want to get the routines back on track, increase intensity, and try out a few things. Playing against my former club is nice because I'll see all the old faces again. If it were a cup match, there would probably have been some jokes already. So, it will feel like a training session for me because I know everyone's faces.“
Energie Cottbus: Injuries and New Arrivals
In their XXL-Test against Dynamo Dresden over two 90-minute halves, each team won one match with 2:1. Now they aim for an encouraging result against the Bundesliga club. Bremen is suffering from a wave of injuries; lastly, seven players were absent in training. With new signings Ryan Malone (33) and Fousseny Doumbia (21), Energie has lost two central defenders. Captain Axel Borgmann (32) hasn't yet played any test matches due to his injury.
