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Ready to get back on track in Leverkusen
MATCH PREVIEW AHEAD OF THE GAME AWAY AT BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN.
23/01/26
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SV Werder Bremen are desperate for another three points on the board – no-one can dispute that. The next opportunity to secure a victory presents itself on Saturday, 24th January, as head coach Horst Steffen’s side travel to Bayer 04 Leverkusen for a 15:30 CET kick-off. The Green-Whites will be hoping to build on a positive record against Leverkusen across recent encounters.
The latest on the squad: Felix Agu was back involved in parts of team training this week, the first time he’s joined the group since suffering a syndesmosis injury in early October last year. The game against Leverkusen comes too early for any minutes for the full-back, though, and Mitchell Weiser (ACL tear) and Victor Boniface (knee surgery) are also unable to take part. Niklas Stark and Maximilian Wöber are still not match fit, while Leonardo Bittencourt is a doubt for game. Head coach Horst Steffen gave some positive news regarding Yukinari Sugawara and Amos Pieper, who both picked up minor knocks in the week: “It currently looks like everyone else is available.”
Head coach Horst Steffen on the opponent: “Leverkusen are absolutely one of the best teams in this division, and it doesn’t matter how unfortunate their form has been at the start of this year. In the Champions League against Olympiacos, they created several dangerous chances in the second half especially. We’re standing before yet another game that’s going to demand a lot of us. Ultimately, of course, we can only focus on what we’re able to do, and so we want to deliver the best performance that we’re capable of.”
Previous encounters: The sides have faced off 89 times in the Bundesliga, with 36 games ending in a draw. Werder slightly edge their opponents out with 28 victories to Leverkusen’s 25. With 147 goals scored, though, the Werkself have netted 13 more than SVW over the fixture’s history. The Green-Whites ran out 2-0 winners last time the teams faced off in Leverkusen, with Romano Schmid getting the side up and running with a goal in the seventh minute, before Justin Njinmah wrapped up the three points with an added-time strike (90+4’).
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Hjulmand for ten Hag: Erik ten Hag stood on the sideline for Leverkusen in the reverse fixture this season, with the last-minute draw proving to be his final game at the helm. It was especially surprising, considering the head coach had only succeeded former Werkself boss Xabi Alonso in the summer. His two-game stint in charge is the shortest in the league’s history. Kasper Hjulmand took over the position and will be in the technical area for B04 this weekend.
Leaving it late in Leverkusen and beyond: The Werkself were treated to a sore taste of how it feels to concede late on in the reverse fixture at the start of this season. Isaac Schmidt kicked off Werder’s late goalscoring with a 76th-minute strike, before Karim Coulibaly sent the Weserstadion into raptures with a last-gasp equaliser to make it 3-3 (90+4’). Nine of Werder’s 21 goals scored this season have come in the last 15 minutes of the game. B04 are no strangers to a late goal, which became something of a signature move for the side in recent years. This season, though, Patrik Schick and co. have found the back of the net just four times in the final quarter of an hour.
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