Lessons learned from Bremen

"That was a real wake-up call – and perhaps it came at the right time," was Marcel Schäfer's assessment of the 3-1 defeat at the Weserstadion. The result left the team with plenty to discuss, with Martín Demichelis keen to "talk positively with the boys about what happened out there".

The Red Bulls had headed to Bremen determined to build on their opening-day victory over Gladbach, produce another strong performance and extend their unbeaten run against the Green-Whites. Instead, a combative Werder side quickly knocked RBL out of their stride.