Werder are going into the meeting with VfL Bochum full of confidence. On Saturday, 19th April (15:30 CEST), the Green-Whites welcome the league’s 17th-placed side to the Weserstadion. SVW are looking to extend their winning run after three victories in three. Head coach Ole Werner spoke before the game of facing “a new task” to previous weeks. Read our full preview below.
Ole Werner on VfL Bochum: “We’ve got a new task ahead of us compared to previous weeks, both in terms of the opponent’s style of play and their approach. Recently, we’ve only played teams who like to have the ball and play forward passes along the ground. Now, we’re facing a team who will look to unsettle us, play a lot of long balls and be uncomfortable for us to deal with. Second balls and set pieces will be vital.”
Team news: Milos Veljkovic (calf) is still unavailable. Derrick Köhn will also miss out against Bochum after picking up an ankle knock in training. Everyone else is available for selection.
Recent meetings: A look at the results from our recent meetings seems to show that VfL are one of the Green-Whites’ favourite opponents. Werder have not lost against Bochum since 2008. Since then, there have been seven SVW wins and two draws. The Green-Whites have won four of the five encounters between the sides since our promotion back to the Bundesliga. The all-time head-to-head record is also in Werder’s favour, having won 48 of 76. 18 matches finished in a draw, while Bochum have won 10.
Recent form: The two teams’ recent results could hardly be more different. Werder are currently top of the Bundesliga form table with 12 points from their last five matches, including victories over Champions League participants Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, as well as third-placed side Eintracht Frankfurt. Bochum, meanwhile, are 16th in this form table. Dieter Hecking’s side have lost their last four. This form doesn’t mean it will be easy though. A look back to VfL’s last win shows how dangerous they can be, especially away from home. They recorded an impressive 3-2 victory at FC Bayern.
