Werder Bremen vs Borussia Dortmund preview - Klopp wants focus back on field

Posted Friday, December 19, 2014 by PA

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hopes the clamour surrounding Marco Reus' brush with the law will die down and focus can return to his side's trip to Werder Bremen on Saturday.

It emerged on Thursday that Reus had been ordered to pay a fine of 540,000 euros (B#425,000) after being discovered driving without a licence.

The Germany international, who is set to return to action after the winter break, never even sat a driving test and Klopp said he deserved what he got, but that he should not be treated like Germany's most wanted criminal.

"He's got an extraordinarily big fine which he is going to pay, but then we hope a line will be drawn under this soon," Klopp said at a press conference.

The line which interests Klopp more is the one which marks relegation to the second division.

His side currently sit just above it while Saturday's hosts Bremen are just below it.

"I don't like the idea of it being called a basement battle, but then I can't really hide from it either," added Klopp, who was buoyed by the performance of Ciro Immobile in the midweek 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg.

"We've taught him how to make different movement compared to the old grind he was used to in Italy," Klopp said of the striker.

"He needed time for that, but it was fantastic to see against Wolfsburg how strong Ciro can be.

"That's a very positive story for us."

It is negative for Bremen, though, who have to find a way of keeping the Italian quiet and extending their unbeaten record at home since Viktor Skripnik became their coach.

They can be buoyed by the fact their visitors have the worst away record in the league at present, with only four points from their seven trips away from the Westfalenstadion, although they last lost to Bremen back in 2010.