Borussia Dortmund (home)
- Dortmund’s title challenge will be seriously dented if they don’t beat SV Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park this Tuesday, while Bremen’s own hopes of climbing the Bundesliga table will be boosted if they take all three points back to Bremen.
- Kovac’s system provides a compact and organised platform in which the wing-backs provide width while the midfield and attackers are free to go forwards when Dortmund win the ball, allowing for quick and direct counter-attacks.
- BvB haven’t had any slip-ups this season and sit second in the Bundesliga with 32 points from 15 games.
- They are unbeaten in their last five Bundesliga games (W2, D3) and have won two and drawn one of their last three at home.
Werder Bremen (away)
- Werder Bremen, who are 10th in Bundesliga after taking 17 points from their opening 15 games, have played some good football since Steffen took over.
- Steffen has instilled a clear style of play on the team and an ambition to play in a more ambitious fashion, pressing high up the field and playing vertical passes with young players.
- Bremen have drawn their last two consecutive games after a 0-0 draw in the Bundesliga at Augsburg, followed by a 0-0 friendly draw with St. Pauli.
- They have one win, three draws and four defeats from eight Bundesliga games on the road, conceding 16 times.
Head-to-Head
- Borussia Dortmund have won five of their seven Bundesliga home games this season, losing none (W5, D2).
- Dortmund have won three of the last five meetings between the clubs, with Bremen failing to win any.
Key Players
- Jens Stage (5 goals, 13 games) is Bremen’s dangerman, but Julian Brandt is on fire for Dortmund (4 of BvB’s last nine Bundesliga goals).
- Serhou Guirassy has five goals in 14 Bundesliga appearances, however, and provides a consistent focal point for Dortmund’s attack.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers have it right with Borussia Dortmund priced at 1.39 for this game and Bremen at 8.7.
- Back Over 2.5 goals at 1.41 - which is heavily odds-on - because this has the makings of an end-to-end, width-driven game between two attacking-minded teams.
Prediction
- Dortmund are rightful favourites.
- It’s hard to see Bremen having any luck here given Dortmund’s home record and the disparity in odds.
