Just four days after winning away at Borussia Dortmund, SV Werder Bremen already preparing to go back to the Rhineland for their next Bundesliga away fixture against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The match will take place on Wednesday evening at 20:30 CET in the BayArena. Wednesday’s game is sure to be an exciting one with both Werder Bremen and Leverkusen in good form as of late.
The last meeting between the two sides: Werder picked up four points against Bayer Leverkusen last season. Werder beat Leverkusen 2-1 in the home fixture thanks to goals from Zlatko Junuzovic and Ousman Manneh. The Green-Whites managed to pick up a point in the Rhineland thanks to a 79th minute equaliser from Claudio Pizarro to bring the score to 1-1.
Who to play in Bartels’ position: “It is very difficult to find someone to fill in for Fin, however we have a lot of players who can play his position very well,” explained Werder head coach Florian Kohfeldt at the pre-match press conference. Kohfeldt went on to explain that he has not made a definite decision yet. “Florian Kainz did very well in that position against Dortmund, but we also have other players who are capable of playing there like Izet Hajrovic and Ishak Belfodil.’
Kohfeldt on the opponent and line-up: “They are a very versatile team. Sometimes, they are lightning-quick on the ball but at other times, they slow things right down and patiently try and find a way through. It is going to be a difficult game for us,” stated Kohfeldt. Kohfeldt also compliment Leverkusen for their defensive performances: “They are fearless going forward but always make sure they keep tight at the back. I do not think we will get many chances on the counter as we did against Dortmund.” Despite the strength of their upcoming opponent, Werder are going into the game with a positive mind-set after having picked up 9 points of a possible 12 in their recent league fixtures. “We want to bring the three points back to Bremen on Wednesday. We need to keep possession and create chances,” insisted Kohfeldt.
The referee: Tobias Stieler will officiate Wednesday’s game between SV Werder Bremen and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Stieler has taken charge of two of Werder’s games already this season, the most recent being the win against Hoffenheim in DFB Cup. The 37-year old has been officiating Bundesliga matches for six seasons. Matthias Jöllenbeck and Christian Gittelmann will be his assistants and Frank Willenborg will be the fourth official. Wolfgang Stark and Timo Gerach are video assistant referees.
