VfL Wolfsburg – Werder Bremen
The first Sunday match of matchday 10 of the Bundesliga is a northern duel between Wolfsburg and Bremen. The Wolves, who were in a slight crisis in the league, defeated Leipzig 1-0 in the DFB Cup during the week, knocking the reigning cup winners out of the competition. Now it’s time for coach Niko Kovac and his team to stay on the ball. After three successive defeats in the league, Wolfsburg urgently need another three-pointer.
Bremen, on the other hand, have had a full week of training to prepare for the upcoming clash. After their recent win against Union Berlin, the club from the Weser should be confident. They, too, need points to leave the relegation places further behind them in the table. You can find out who will secure the points in the end and leave the pitch as the winner in our Wolfsburg – Bremen predictions
Wolfsburg – Bremen info
- Date & Time: 05.11.2023, 15:30 hrs
- Playing venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 10
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Wolfsburg Form & Balance Check
After three consecutive league defeats, Kovac was able to breathe a sigh of relief after the DFB Cup success against Leipzig. Although their record of the last ten games is balanced with 5 wins and 5 defeats, the Wolves urgently need another successful result in the league to stay within striking distance of the international places.
VfL are currently in ninth place with twelve points. Six points already separate Wolfsburg from an international place. The home game on Sunday is therefore extremely important, as the upcoming tasks after the Bremen game will not be any easier. There is an away game in Gladbach and then another clash with Leipzig.
Changes have worked
After the negative run in the league, Kovac has made some changes for the DFB Cup match. Compared to the previous league game against Augsburg, which was lost 2:3, Kovac sent eight new players onto the pitch against Leipzig. The newly formed defense around Sebastiaan Bornauw and Cedric Zesiger, as well as midfielder Aster Vranckx, did not let anything burn at the back and gave Wolfsburg the 1:0 victory.
It now remains to be seen whether Kovac will stick with the cup heroes or continue to rely on the previously selected players such as Maximilian Arnold and Jonas Wind. The personnel situation remains a difficult task and Kovac must show good instinct in order not to jeopardize the mood within the team
Wolfsburg facts & analysis
- Four defeats and two wins from the last six games
- Ninth place in the league table
- Last three league games lost
Bremen Form & Balance Check
Bremen had no double-header this week and were therefore able to concentrate fully on the clash against Wolves. Although Werder won their last league game 2-0 against Union Berlin, they had lost all of their previous three games. Werder are currently in twelfth place with nine points and a record of three wins and six defeats.
Bremen’s season has been up and down. In addition to a 4-0 win against Mainz on matchday 3, there have also been 4-2 defeats against newly promoted Heidenheim and Darmstadt. The most recent home win against Die Eisernen gives hope, but another away defeat could mean a step towards the relegation places. Bremen will be able to call on an almost full squad on Sunday, with only the summer’s transfer king, Naby Keïta, still missing through injury
Away completely off the rails
Bremen are completely off the pace in away games this season. Zero points and a goal difference of 4:10 is the current record. This puts Werder in last place in the away table. The defeats against the two promoted teams and potential relegation rivals Heidenheim and Darmstadt were particularly bitter.
Both games were lost 2:4. Werder must overcome this weakness on the road if they are to avoid being in the relegation battle right to the end. It remains to be seen whether they can pick up their first points away from home this weekend, as Wolfsburg are strong at home and have picked up nine of their twelve points at the Volkswagen Arena.
Bremen facts & analysis
- One win from the last four games
- Twelfth place in the league table
- Badest away record in the league
Predicted line-up – last update on November 4, 2023
Wolfsburg will line up in a 3-4-2-1 again after the cup win. We expect a few changes in terms of personnel compared to the cup game during the week. Bornauw, who was stable in the cup, will be back, but Arnold and Wind, who have only come off the bench recently, should also return to the starting eleven.
Bremen will continue to rely on their 3-3-2-2 system. No changes are expected compared to last weekend, as coach Ole Werner’s side finally won with a clean sheet
Wolfsburg – Bremen head-to-head & stats
In total, the two clubs have met 56 times, 50 of them in the Bundesliga and six in the cup. Wolfsburg have something to make up for in the direct comparison, as the Wolves have not won against Bremen in three games. Bremen’s overall history also speaks in their favor, with a total of 25 wins, eleven draws and 20 defeats
- Bremen are just ahead in the overall history
- Wolfsburg have failed to win their last three games
- Werder won the last game 2:1
