Bremen vs. Heidenheim preview: Two sides in superb form
Bremen and Heidenheim are both unbeaten in their last seven league games in what should be a tense atmosphere up north on Matchday 21.
| Frank Schmidt | Alexander Böhm CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
Bremen
Werder have allowed only five goals in their last seven league games and are unbeaten over this stretch. Rumors were swirling just a few months ago over Ole Werner’s job status, but now the club are pushing for a spot in Europe.
The attacking duo Justin Njinmah and Marvin Ducksch is making fans nearly forget the loss of Niclas Füllkrug. Bremen have a great chance of keeping up this unbeaten streak, as following Heidenheim, their next three games are against struggling opponents Köln, Darmstadt and Hoffenheim.
Werner commented, "Winning gives you confidence and makes you more driven. We're continuing to work well and aren't getting carried away. - That also has a lot to do with the crowd. They definitely spur us on."
Team News
Leo Bittencourt, Mitchell Weiser, Amos Pieper, Leon Opitz and Milos Veljkovic are out. Marco Friedl and Tony Jung missed some training this week, but both are expected to be available.
Heidenheim
Heidenheim’s defense has been superb to start the new year with four straight draws and a maximum of one goal allowed. Frank Schmidt has done an incredible job taking this side away from the relegation zone and they look stable enough to continue this form for the rest of the season.
It’s a big game for Bremen loanee Eren Dinkci, who’s expected to return to his parent club in the summer. Heidenheim are actually looking for their third straight competitive win over Bremen, including a 4-2 win over the club back in September.
In his presser, Schmidt said, “Although (Bremen) do not necessarily stand out due to dominant ball possession game - the last home games they had less ball possession - they show strength in counterattacks. Their switching behavior is impressive, not only by players like Duksch or Njinmah, but also by the eights like Stage or Schmid, who can quickly put pressure on the chain.”
Team News
Elidon Quenaj, Thomas Keller, Denis Thomalla and Luka Janes are out, while Marnon Busch is questionable with a toe injury.
