Werder Bremen – FSV Mainz
The Bundesliga enters its 3rd matchday this weekend. But even at this early stage of the season, alarm bells are ringing for some teams due to a poor start to the season. Even the two teams that meet at Bremen’s Weserstadion on Saturday did not get off to the start that all fans would have wished for. Who can finally get the first win of the season, you can find out in our Bremen – Mainz tip.
SV Werder Bremen finds itself in last place in the Bundesliga table for the first time since Matchday 2 of the 2017/18 season after a late defeat to SC Freiburg. However, although this is the eighth time Bremen has started a Bundesliga season with two defeats, SVW has never been relegated in previous seasons with zero points after two matchdays.
But the visitors from Mainz can also sing a song about conceding late goals. FSV led for a long time against Frankfurt the previous week and only conceded the 1-1 equalizer in injury time. With one point after two games, the Nullfünfer find themselves in 13th place ahead of Matchday 3.
Bremen – Mainz info:
- Date & Time: 09/02/2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Game Venue: Wohninvest-Weserstadion, Bremen
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 3
- TV broadcast: Sky
Bremen form & balance check
Despite a disappointing second half of the season with only four victories achieved, Werder Bremen ultimately secured the class preservation in 13th place in the table sovereign in the preseason. However, the start to the new season in the cup went anything but according to plan, as the North Germans lost 3-2 at third-division club Viktoria Köln.
And things didn’t go according to plan for Bremen in their Bundesliga opener against Bayern either. The SVW fell behind after just four minutes and was unable to recover. The final result of 0:4 against the record champion was then a little too high. Against Freiburg the previous week, the first point win for the SVW seemed possible for a long time. But in injury time, former Bremen player Philipp secured a 1-0 win for SCF.
The striker is stuck
In the preseason, SVW had the fourth-worst defense in the entire Bundesliga, conceding 64 goals. However, the strong offense saved the one or other point for the team of coach Ole Werner. SVW scored a total of 51 goals in the preseason, putting them on a par with the two top teams, Union and Freiburg.
In the new season, however, the attack of the northern Germans has not yet found the season particularly well. For in the first two Bundesliga games, the SVW has not yet recorded a single goal. Bremen is the only team in the Bundesliga without a goal of its own. The offense, however, earned an xG value of 1.61 in the first two games, so in the upcoming games, Bremen will be looking to regain their cold streak.
Bremen facts & analysis
- Placed 13th in the league in the preseason.
- Three defeats from the first three competitive games.
- Lost 0:1 to Freiburg in the previous week
Mainz form & balance check
Mainz 05 caused a remarkable surprise in the previous second leg. After finishing the first half of the season in twelfth place, FSV showed an almost unstoppable performance and eventually ended the season in ninth place. In the current season, coach Bo Svensson once again aims to be unpleasant for the opponents.
In the first competitive match of the season in the DFB Cup against Elversberg, a team promoted to the second division, FSV faced some challenges, but ultimately managed to win 1-0. In the Bundesliga opener against Union Berlin, however, the Nullfünfer suffered a 1:4 defeat. Last week, Mainz then conceded a late goal against Eintracht Frankfurt and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Youth at work
With the injury to Ludovic Ajorque, Nelson Weiper made his starting debut in the new season the previous week. The 18-year-old already played nine games for the Nullfünfer in the Bundesliga last season, scoring two goals.
With his nine goals in the U19 Bundesliga, he also played a key role in winning the A-youth championship. His congenial partner in the FSV youth team was attacker Brajan Gruda. The 19-year-old is also considered a great talent and played on the first two match days for Mainz. The two talents will probably cause quite a stir over the course of the season.
Mainz facts & analysis
- In the preseason in new place in the league.
- Still without a win in the league
- Played 1-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous week
Predicted lineup – last update on September 1, 2023
The centerpiece in Bremen’s 3-5-2 system was the forward duo consisting of Füllkrug and Ducksch, but they were still without a goal this season. Füllkrug, however, migrated during the week in the direction of Dortmund and will probably be replaced by Dawid Kownacki at the weekend. Senne Lynen we expect back on the six.
At Mainz, we also expect a three-man backline again. In the 3-4-2-1, youngster Nelson Weiper will probably again act for the stricken Ludovic Ajorque in the forward center.
Bremen – Mainz direct comparison & statistics
To date, the match between Bremen and Mainz has been played a total of 35 times in competitive matches. The North Germans won 16 encounters, while FSV won twelve games. In the preseason, however, SVW did not win a game against Mainz.
- The last home win of Bremen against Mainz was on 30/03/2019.
- Füllkrug scored his first hat-trick in the Bundesliga against the Nullfünfer in 2018.
- Both teams still without a win this Bundesliga season
