Although SV Werder Bremen will have to do without a number of their key players, Ole Werner’s side are all fired up ahead of their matchday 7 encounter with VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday, 20th October. After a difficult start to their campaign, the Green-Whites, who are currently occupying 11th place in the table, are determined to hit the ground running and bring a much-needed three points back to Bremen.
Squad update: Milos Veljkovic (foot problems), Justin Njinmah (ankle ligament injury) and Niklas Stark (muscle problems) will all miss Sunday's fixture after having spent the week completing individual sessions, alongside Jens Stage (bruised calf) and Skelly Alvero (knee problems), who both picked up injuries in training. “We still have options – other players now have the chance to prove themselves,” explained head coach Ole Werner at the pre-match press conference. “Leonardo Bittencourt is the logical choice and will, provided nothing changes, also be in action. He has enough experience and knows how to slot back in after not having been involved for a while.”
Ole Werner on the opposition: “They have a lot of individual quality within their squad, even if that hasn’t shown through yet in the results due to their tricky opening fixtures. They work together well, press with aggression in every corner of the pitch, and play very direct when looking for ways to push forward. It will be a very intense and physical game, and we’ll have to accept that it won't always be pretty. We’ll need to implement our technical and tactical quality in the necessary moments. It will be a tough match, but we’re going there to win.”
Previous meetings: SVW have faced off against Wolfsburg a total of 52 times in the Bundesliga so far, with very little to separate the two sides. VfL have come out on top in 21 of the encounters, with Werder emerging victorious in 20, providing the Green-Whites the chance to level the playing field this Sunday. However, Wolfsburg have been the dominant side in recent years, with Werder having only claimed all three points in one of their last seven meetings. The most recent encounter also saw Ralph Hasenhüttl make his first appearance as VfL’s new head coach, where his XI inflicted a 2-0 defeat on the Green-Whites at the Weserstadion on matchday 27.
Romano raring to go: After delivering an impressive display for Austria during the most recent international break, Romano Schmid has been on a good run of form for both his country and club in the past few fixtures. Werder’s midfield maestro has been the top initiator in SVW's attacks (48), posing a threat to the opponents' backline with his exceptional ability to use and exploit space on the pitch. In a pre-match interview, SVW’s number 20 did, however, admit that he should be taking more shots on goal.
Strong at defending set pieces: Alongside RB Leipzig, SV Werder Bremen are the only team to have not conceded from a set piece so far this season. This is likely due to the fact that the Green-Whites are yet to have given away a penalty in the current campaign, and are also strong when it comes to clearing danger from corners and free kicks.
