SV Werder Bremen

vs

Hamburger SV

Preview

Werder Bremen

• SV Werder Bremen have won two and lost three of their last five Bundesliga matches.
• Werder Bremen sit 15th in the Bundesliga table with 28 points from 29 games, four points behind 12th-placed Hamburger SV, who have 31 points from the same number of matches.
• Bremen boss Daniel Thioune has been known as a tactically flexible coach since taking the reins at Werder in February 2026.
• His players are usually deployed in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Thioune has the ability to overload the box with central players or create a compact and disciplined defence depending on the opponent.
• Jens Stage has been the focus for the attack this season, scoring seven Bundesliga goals from 24 appearances.

Hamburger SV

• Hamburger SV have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five Bundesliga games.
• Visiting Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin has a much more pragmatic philosophy and he has instilled a resolute, defensive mindset at the club since taking over in November 2024.
• He likes to deploy a back-three system that is very compact and his side are set up to be dangerous on the counter-attack rather than dominating possession.
• Albert Sambi Lokonga has been their best attacking player this campaign with five goals from 22 Bundesliga appearances, but his most important role is his part in the transition phases.

Key Players

• Jens Stage has been the focus for the attack this season, scoring seven Bundesliga goals from 24 appearances.
• Albert Sambi Lokonga has been their best attacking player this campaign with five goals from 22 Bundesliga appearances, but his most important role is his part in the transition phases.

Betting Insights

• Hamburg’s 4-0 defeat to VfB Stuttgart in their last away game highlighted their fragility on the defensive and underlined defensive vulnerabilities on the road.
• They have won just two, drawn four and lost eight of 14 Bundesliga away games this season, and have scored just 0.79 goals and conceded 1.93 goals per game.
• Werder Bremen have won four, drawn four and lost six of their 14 Bundesliga home games this term, scoring 1.07 goals per home game and conceding 1.79.
• The odds for a home win are set at 2.06, but given that they are fresh from a two-game losing streak, including a 3-1 defeat at FC Koeln and a 1-2 home loss to RB Leipzig, we feel HSV have enough to at least avoid defeat on Saturday.

Prediction

• Our main selection will be for Werder Bremen to win and over 2.5 goals in the game at 1.73, with Both Teams to Score - Yes coming in at 1.6.
• Thioune’s team will go on the attack, but Hamburg are always a threat on the break, so we’re expecting a classic, open and thrilling Nordderby.