Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund's start to 2026 was nothing short of a rollercoaster, playing out a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt last Friday. Twice they went ahead before trailing in injury ti...
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund's start to 2026 was nothing short of a rollercoaster, playing out a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt last Friday. Twice they went ahead before trailing in injury time when Carney Chukwuemeka snatched a point.
A mix of both positives and negatives came from that performance - BVB's ability to attack look reinvigorated despite Serhou Guirassy continuing to struggle. The Guinean only had 16 touches of the ball all night.
With the likes of Fábio Silva and the previously mentioned Chukwuemeka impactful off the bench, Niko Kovač could change things up. With three Bundesliga games in eight days, having a big squad is very advantageous.
Facing a Werder Bremen side winless since early November sounds promising. However, three red cards for the Westphalians in the last three editions of this fixture will be a disciplinary error they'll want to avoid.
Team news:
As for player availability, Kovač has practically an entire squad to choose from barring Aaron Anselmino (hamstring). Rami Bensebaini could be available also after Algeria's elimination from the African Cup of Nations.
Gregor Kobel ought to be protected by Anton, Can and Schlotterbeck in a back-three. Ryerson and Svensson should start in midfield with Sabitzer and Nmecha, while Beier and Chukwuemeka may rotate in alongside Fábio Silva.
Predicted lineup: Kobel - Anton, Can, Schlotterbeck - Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson - Beier, Chukwuemeka - Silva
Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen, on the other hand, are yet to grace the Bundesliga since the new year started. Their opening fixture against Hoffenheim was postponed on account of harsh winter conditions that prevented play.
Prior to the break in Bundesliga action between the end of December into early January, Bremen's form took a dent. With two stalemates and three defeats in their last five, they desperately need to find their mojo again.
Horst Steffen's team probably would've - pardon the pun - break the ice last Saturday. However, they ought to have fresher legs than their hosts tomorrow as they travel south for a meeting with Borussia Dortmund.
In years gone by, Bremen have fared pretty well against the Westphalians. Their record in Dortmund in the last five meetings reads one victory, two draws and two defeats. Their 3-2 win in injury time August 2022 will act as inspiration.
Team news:
Bremen's injury list remains lengthy with the likes of Michell Weiser (ACL tear), Felix Agu (ankle), Maxi Wöber (muscular problems), Niklas Stark (knock) and Victor Boniface (knee) all highly unlikely to feature.
Backhaus will likely be shielded by Pieper, Friedl and Coulibaly in defence. Suguwara and Schmidt should get wing-back roles outside of Stage and Lynen. Up top, Schmid and Puertas will likely support striker Grüll.
Predicted lineup: Backhaus - Pieper, Friedl, Coulibaly - Suguwara, Stage, Lynen, Schmidt - Schmid, Puertas - Grüll
Category: General Sports
