Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig preview: Another tough early test

Werder Bremen

It was a woeful start to the Bundesliga season for Werder Bremen.

They were not given an easy matchup, forced to travel to European outfit SC Freiburg, who had already begun their campaign with Conference League qualifiers. However, it wasn’t mission impossible or anything like that.

Werder began on the front foot. Then things fell apart, and they fell apart fast. The Breisgau-Brasilianer broke the deadlock at the half-hour, with Yuito Suzuki sneaking free during a corner and heading home from close range. Then, before half-time, Igor Matanovic drove forward before rifling a shot outside the area into the back of the net.

The Green-Whites had been hit, but at least now they had the break to reset and create a new gameplan for the second half. It only took three minutes for them to concede again. Suzuki also scored that one, and he wrapped up his hat-trick by the 55th minutes, with the goals coming way too easily.

There was one positive note before the day was done, at least, as debutant Dariusz Stalmach converted from a corner to score a consolation goal. It obviously wasn't enough to make the game interesting.

For manager Daniel Thioune and company, there was a lot to learn from and work on going into this weekend. The backline put on a horror show. They were out of position, late to passes, and failed to pick up markers on a consistent basis. It looked like they were always a step behind.

Up front, views weren’t much better. The team clearly felt the absences of Jens Stage and Romano Schmid. There was a lack of creativity, and when someone decided to try something, the final pass was misplaced or messed up. Niclas Fullkrug didn’t have much to work with, and yet he fluffed the one chance that came his way.

The good news is that Bremen has plenty of time to fix the situation. While it was a really bad day, at least they now know changes must happen. If not, then they’ll be set for a long and scary dance with relegation.

Team news

Even though the season has just started, Werder are bit by the injury bug as the likes of Felix Agu, Mitchell Weiser, Jens Stage, Justin Njinmah, and Keke Topp have all been ruled out.

Predicted lineups

Hein, Arthur, Pieper, Friedl, Deman, Lynen, Reis, Chuki, Dinkci, Fullkrug, Grull

RB Leipzig

Things went much, much better for RB Leipzig on opening weekend. 

At home to Borussia Mönchengladbach, new manager Martín Demichelis rolled out a lineup full of young and exciting talent. The midfield and front three had an average age of just over 22-years-old. Those selections paid off, with the hosts running off 3-0 winners.

It started in some style, with full-back Ridle Baku flying up the field before orchestrating a tidy one-two with Tidiam Gomis. He made sure to finish off the move, slotting home past the goalkeeper. Leipzig doubled the advantage shortly after the break, with Antonio Nusa pulling off a few stepovers and then curling a shot into the back of the net.

The contest was wrapped up by the hour mark. Breaking free on the counter, Rocco Reitz slipped through and converted the chance to grab a goal against his former club. He was quick to show that he wasn’t celebrating, though.

All in all, it was an incredibly impressive attacking performance from RasenBallsport. They scored three, and they could’ve had even more if they were a tad more clinical. Their xG ended at 3.96, with a total of 25 shots at the opposition goal. Not only is there young talent in the starting lineup, but the bench includes the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Johan Bakayoko, Arthur Vermeeren, and Conrad Harder.

The backline was also solid, but Leipzig did give up some opportunities. While that isn’t too concerning now, it could become a problem later in the season and against stronger opponents. Still, it’s a great start.

With the way their forwards are playing, Die Roten Bullen will fancy their chances of scoring even more goals this time around.

Team news

Leipzig are still without a number of key players. Ørjan Håskjold Nyland, Assan Ouédraogo, and Rômulo will be missing a little longer, while Christoph Baumgartner is unavailable for a while.

Predicted lineups

Vandevoordt, Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum, Reitz, Seiwald, Banzuzi, Gruda, Gomis, Nusa