Werder Bremen vs. Stuttgart preview: Visitors looking to extend unbeaten run
Photo: Jeollo, VfB-exklusiv.de, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Werder Bremen
Bremen are experiencing a poor run of form after picking up just two points from their last seven matches. Ole Werner’s side ended a run of four consecutive league defeats with a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this month. However, they were unable to take anything from last Sunday’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen, falling to a heavy 5-0 loss at the BayArena. While the result sealed Leverkusen’s first league title, it represented Bremen’s heaviest top-flight defeat since losing 7-1 to Köln in January 2023.
Having picked up 31 points from 29 matches, die Werderaner are sitting five points above the bottom three with five games left to play. After competing in back-to-back away games, Bremen are set to return to the Weserstadion for the first time since losing 2-0 to Wolfsburg at the end of March. Having picked up one point from their last four home matches, the hosts are looking to claim their first home win since beating Freiburg 3-1 on January 27.
Team News
Bremen are unable to call upon Jiri Pavlenka, Amos Pieper, Skelly Alvero and Niklas Stark. Jens Stage is suspended for Sunday’s fixture.
Stuttgart
Stuttgart head into Sunday’s fixture in third place after picking up 63 points from 29 league matches. While there is a good chance the Bundesliga will gain an extra Champions League spot, Stuttgart will still be keen to achieve a top-four finish to cap off a successful season. In fact, die Schwaben are still in the hunt to achieve their first top-two finish in the Bundesliga since lifting the title in 2006-07.
In their most recent outing, Sebastian Hoeneß’s side cruised to a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt thanks to goals from Sehrou Guirassy, Deniz Undav and Jamie Leweling. Stuttgart have now won five of their last six matches, ensuring they carry significant momentum into their clash with Bremen.
The visitors have the chance to complete a league double over their opponents after recording a 2-0 victory in December’s reverse fixture. They have also avoided defeat in each of their last three trips to the Weserstadion (W1, D2).
Team News
The visitors are without Josha Vagnoman, Samuele di Benedetto, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Nikolas Nartey. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Dahoud is a doubt due to illness.