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Looking to stay ahead of Köln
MATCH PREVIEW AHEAD OF THE AWAY GAME AGAINST 1. FC KÖLN
11/04/26 | 4 Min
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On Sunday, 12th April (15:30 CEST), 14th-placed Werder face 15th-placed 1. FC Köln in another crucial match. The Green-Whites are looking to make sure that the Billy Goats, who are currently a point behind SVW, remain below them in the table after matchday 29. Read our match preview here.
Latest squad news: Head coach Daniel Thioune will be forced into making a change to his line-up, as Cameron Puertas received his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend and is now serving a suspension. Jens Stage (muscular problems) is still a doubt, but every other player who worked individually doing the week could feature. Victor Boniface, however, is not expected to be in the squad. “At the moment, it’s still too early for him to be with us in Cologne because he’s not in the right physical condition yet,” said Thioune. Long-term absentees Karl Hein (thumb injury), Julian Malatini (syndesmosis tear in the ankle), Wesley Adeh (ligament tear), Keke Topp (ACL injury) and Mitchell Weiser (ACL injury) all remain unavailable.
Head coach Daniel Thioune on the opponent: “We’re working on how to deal with every Köln player, including Said El Mala. He’s shown this season that he’s a real prospect. I’m expecting him to start. We have to make sure that we’re defensively solid. It’s no secret that we’ll have a lot of things to contend with in Köln: the team, the stadium, the intensity.”
Previous encounters: The two sides are preparing for their 102nd Bundesliga meeting. The head-to-head record is very close. Werder have won 37 of these encounters, one more than the Billy Goats. This season’s reverse fixture was similarly even. Marco Friedl put the Green-Whites ahead (22’), before Said El Mala levelled in injury time (90+1’). SVW came out 1-0 winners on their last visit to the RheinEnergieSTADION. This was back in the 2023/24 season, when Justin Njinmah struck the only goal.
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Another draw on the cards?: SVW have lost just one of their last eight Bundesliga meetings with Sunday’s opponent. The Green-Whites won three of these, while Köln’s only victory during this period came three years ago. Since 2020, the teams have played out four 1-1 draws, which is also the most common result between the two overall.
Match officials: Tobias Reichel will referee the match in Cologne. The 40-year-old also took charge of the Green-Whites’ visit to Leverkusen earlier this season. Christian Bandurski and Marcel Unger will be his assistants, while Felix Prigan will act as the fourth official. Benjamin Brand and Felix-Benjamin Schwermer will be on VAR duty.
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