Cautious Smith wary of Werder
06 Mar 2008 - 07:52:27
Rangers manager Walter Smith believes Werder Bremen are one the favourites to win this season's UEFA Cup.
The Gers face the German outfit in the last 16 of the competition and Smith is aware that his side faces an extremely difficult task if they are to progress.
Bremen are currently second in the Bundesliga table and are particularly strong at home where they have won ten of their 12 matches so far this season.
Rangers beat Greek side Panathinaikos in the last round, but Smith said: "Panathinaikos are a good side, but I feel that German football overall is stronger.
"And I think that the success that Bremen have had over the past few years would indicate that it will be an extremely tough game.
"They must be down as one of the favourites for the UEFA Cup. They have a good pedigree and have had a fairly settled team and a good coach for the last five or six years.
"They've had a level of consistency that I think for a club playing in a big league has been fantastic, so I think it will be a very difficult match."