Werder Bremen vs Hoffenheim preview: Bremen look to continue their European push | OneFootball

Werder Bremen

Last week was always going to be a tough one for Werder Bremen.

Going away to league-leading Bayern Munich is a tough enough test normally. Going there without a number of centerbacks and trying to get a result is practically mission impossible. To make things even worse, Bremen lost one key player to injury in the warmups before another two got hurt during the game itself.

Despite all that, Werder were putting up a good fight, and they went into the halftime break level at 0-0. However, they were burned once again by refereeing, as a penalty was called for the hosts. Harry Kane converted, and then Leroy Sane hit on the counter late on to seal things. Another penalty was called against them in the final seconds just to add some salt to the wounds.

While the result was ultimately disappointing, Bremen will still come away from the contest with some positives. They defended well early on, and really limited the opposition’s free-flowing attack.

This weekend will be a very different scenario, though. At home against a struggling Hoffenheim side, the Green-Whites will be the favorites here. They’ll likely have most of the ball, and the pressure will be on them to find the back of the net.

Picking up all three points would be huge in their continuing battle for European football. Werder enter the matchday in 10th, but they’re only three points away from 6th. It’s a mess of teams in that part of the table, so any potential winning streak could see a team rocket up past everyone else.

That’s what Bremen will hope to start this weekend. First things first, though, they have to win here.

Team newsWerder still have a number of injury concerns ahead of the contest. Jens Stage, Marco Friedl, and Keke Topp are likely all out, while Felix Agu, Justin Njinmah, Keke Topp, and Julian Malatini are doubts.

Hoffenheim

Last week was a new low for Die Kraichgauer.

They were blown out at home by Union Berlin of all sides, ultimately losing 4-0. Things didn’t look so bad initially, as it was only 1-0 at the hour mark. Hoffenheim fell apart, though, giving up three in the final 30 minutes.

The defeat plunged them further down the standings. They are now in 15th, four points clear of the relegation-playoff spot and five points clear of the automatic relegation places. While it’s not time to completely panic just yet, the team will need to pick up some points soon to avoid falling into the bottom three.

Hoffenheim’s situation was on show thanks to the atmosphere at their stadium. The PreZero Arena had plenty of barren sections, and the supporters at the game were quick to voice their displeasure. They were nervous at first, and those feelings turned to anger and disappointment at full-time.

The good news for TSG is that they know they can play better. A few weeks ago they beat Belgian outfit Anderlecht 4-3 on the road, and they got a 2-2 draw versus Eintracht Frankfurt.

A quick look at the reverse fixture really sums up their duality. Hoffenheim got off to a roaring start, scoring three goals in the opening 12 minutes. However, a red card to defender Stalney N’Soki changed everything. Bremen scored once, then again, and then again, all before the half-time break before eventually finding a winner early on in the second half.

Who knows which version of Die Kraichgauer will show up on Sunday, which is both exciting and scary at the same time.

Team newsHoffenheim are going through an injury crisis, and they might be without the likes of Christopher Lenz, Ozan Kabak, Valentin Gendrey, Diadie Samassékou, Grischa Prömel, Umut Tohumcu, Adam Hlozek, and Ihlas Bebou.