After two weeks off for the international break, the Bundesliga end-of-season run-in now begins for SV Werder Bremen. The Green-Whites will take on second-placed Borussia Dortmund at 18:30 CEST on Saturday. Despite BVB’s brilliant season, Thomas Eichin still feels Werder have a good chance of taking something back home. “Dortmund are strong opponents, but we will be well prepared and will do everything we can to pick up points,” said the chief executive.
Read about which Werder players BVB coach Thomas Tuchel brought to the Bundesliga, what connects Claudio Pizarro with Mats Hummels, and which historic goal came in a previous meeting between the sides in WERDER.DE’s match preview.
Did you know that…
…Claudio Pizarro has converted all of the Bundesliga penalties he has taken as a Werder player? The Peruvian has stepped up to the spot on eight occasions, finding the net each time. No other Bremen player has ever managed the same in Bundesliga history.
…Borussia Dortmund are having the best ever Bundesliga season in the club’s history, with 64 points at this stage in the season? Indeed in eight Bundesliga seasons, the eventual champions finished the season with fewer points that BVB currently have on the board. Just one win is needed to confirm Champions League qualification for Thomas Tuchel’s side, but Werder will do all they can to make sure that win doesn’t come against them on Saturday!
… goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald needs to be especially careful? The Werder keeper has picked up four yellow cards so far this season and one more will mean he is suspended.
… BVB have an exceptionally strong home record? The 35 points from their 13 home games this season is a new club record for BVB in the Bundesliga. However, Viktor Skripnik’s men also boast an impressive away record: with 17 points away from home, Werder are ninth in the away table.
…the Green-Whites inflicted in the first ever Bundesliga defeat on BVB? On matchday 1 of the newly formed Bundesliga in 1963/64, Werder won 3-2, while the first ever Bundesliga goal was scored by Dortmund’s Timo Konietzka. Werder have beaten Dortmund 40 times in total, inflicted the second most defeats on the current second-placed side – FC Bayern have the most with 42.
…Dortmund‘s Gonzalo Castro and Clemens Fritz both made 18 appearances for their then club Bayer Leverkusen between 2004-2006? Both had eight wins, seven draws and three defeats in their time with the Werkself. The two also played together in the Germany national team.
…BVB coach Thomas Tuchel first brought Werder striker Anthony Ujah to the Bundesliga? Tuchel was manager of FSV Mainz 05 when the Nigerian switched to the Bundesliga from Lilleström. Ujah celebrated his top flight debut on 13.08.2011 in Mainz’s 2-1 win Freiburg.
…five current SV Werder players have previously scored against Borussia Dortmund? Alongside Claudio Pizarro (10 games, 4 goals), Theodor Gebre Selassie (7/2), Fin Bartels (3/1), Anthony Ujah (1/1) and Levin Öztunali (1/1) have all found the back of the net against BVB.
… BVB captain Mats Hummels and Claudio Pizarro know eachother well? Both played together at Bayern, even though the Germany international has just the one appearance to his name. On the final matchday of 2006/07, Hummels was introduced in the 52nd minute in their 5-2 win over Mainz 05, and six minutes later, Pizarro was subbed on.
