This will be the first relegation play-off in Werder’s club history. Heidenheim have actually already played in the wohninvest WESERSTADION this season. Bremen beat Frank Schmidt’s side 4-1 in the second round of the DFB-Pokal. “We can’t really compare the games,” commented Maximilian Eggestein. “This time, it’s a two-legged affair behind closed doors. Maybe it was slightly strange for Heidenheim to play in front of our own crowd back then.” Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has a similar view: "The cup game came at a completely different stage of the season. We won't be judging our opponents on that game. We will focus on our own performance and this unique situation with these two matches."
“As the Bundesliga side, we are just about favourites, but they can play without any pressure. We have to make sure we stay up,” said Eggestein. Captain Niklas Moisander added: "They will be two hard games. Heidenheim have had a good season, but we're the favourites, and I'm convinced that if we play like we did in Köln in both games we can prevail and stay up."