Werder Bremen are unbeaten in four league games and welcome a struggling VfL Wolfsburg to the Weserstadion on Friday evening. Wolfsburg are under massive pressure after their surprise cup exit against second division side Holstein Kiel and only one win from their last six Bundesliga games. Bremen are in 9th place with 12 points, while the Lower Saxony side have slipped to 12th with only 8 points. Jens Stage secured a valuable point for Bremen in the 86th minute of their 1-1 draw in Mainz, while Wolfsburg coach Paul Simonis is coming under increasing criticism after only three points from six games. The most recent direct encounters promise excitement: there have been at least three goals in each of the last five games between the two teams, with Wolfsburg winning the last meeting 2-1 in Bremen in March 2024.
- Venue: Weserstadion, Bremen
- Date and time: November 7, 2025, 8:30 p.m.
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 10)
Werder Bremen appear much more stable than Wolfsburg and have recently shown their morale with late goals, while the visitors have only celebrated one win since August and suffered four defeats in their last five games. Wolfsburg are also without several key players, including Joakim Maehle, Kilian Fischer, and Jesper Lindstrøm, which significantly weakens their defense. Against this backdrop, a Bremen home win at odds of around 2.2 seems attractive. Other interesting betting options include over 2.5 goals, as both teams have been scoring regularly recently and Bremen has been successful in four of its last five games, while Wolfsburg has conceded goals in around 80% of its last encounters. The combination of Bremen’s offensive strength and Wolfsburg’s defensive gaps also increases the likelihood of both teams scoring, especially since Bremen has only recorded three clean sheets this season and Wolfsburg continues to have offensive firepower with Amoura, who recently scored twice against Hoffenheim.
Werder Form & Record Check
Werder are unbeaten in four games, with two wins and two draws, both home wins coming 1-0 against Union and St. Pauli. Away from home, the team drew 2-2 in Heidenheim and 1-1 in Mainz thanks to a late goal from Jens Stage. The offense has scored in 8 of 9 league games, but with only 12 goals in total, it has scored less than other teams in the upper half of the table. Defensively, they have conceded 16 goals, although three clean sheets show that the defense can be solid at times. With 12 points, Werder are just behind Eintracht Frankfurt and one point ahead of Union, so the table remains tight. Isaac Schmidt is back in the squad after a foot injury, while Niklas Stark is only expected to make brief appearances due to hip problems. Mitchell Weiser and Felix Agu remain sidelined with syndesmosis injuries and will not return until the new year, while Olivier Deman, Maximilian Wöber, and Salim Musah are also out. Mio Backhaus has established himself as the league’s youngest regular goalkeeper and is apparently attracting interest from big clubs such as Arsenal and Barcelona, while Victor Boniface, who is yet to score in a Werder shirt, is coming under increasing criticism.
Bremen are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the wings still thin on the ground. Backhaus is back in goal after some strong performances. Pieper and Coulibaly are set to start in central defense, while Sugawara will play at right back and Friedl at left back, with the latter not playing in his favorite position. Stage and Lynen form the tried-and-tested duo in central midfield. The attacking trio is likely to consist of Grüll, Schmid, and Mbangula. Boniface will start up front despite his ongoing goal drought. Stark, Bittencourt, and Njinmah, among others, could be available as substitutes. Agu, Deman, Weiser, and Wöber are still out with injuries, although Wöber’s return is approaching.
Wolfsburg Form & Record Check
After nine Bundesliga matchdays, VfL Wolfsburg are in 12th place with eight points and are showing considerable defensive weaknesses, especially in the first half, which has manifested itself in four out of five games with goals conceded before the break. The team has lost four of its last five competitive games, including an embarrassing DFB Cup exit against Holstein Kiel. In 80% of their recent games, Wolfsburg have conceded at least one goal before half-time, which means they are constantly chasing the game, and they have yet to win a game after improving their performance after the break. Their 1-0 away win in Hamburg was followed by three defeats in a row, including a 3-0 loss to Stuttgart, a 3-1 defeat in Augsburg and a 3-2 loss to Hoffenheim. The personnel situation is making things even worse: Maehle is out with a serious injury, Fischer has ankle problems, Lindstrøm has adductor issues, Paredes is recovering from foot surgery, and Rogério has muscle problems. Coach Simonis and the team are under a lot of pressure, which can lead to bad decisions and more slumps in performance. The team urgently needs defensive stability and better half-time analysis to prevent early goals, while in the medium term, targeted transfers and an adjustment of the playing philosophy appear necessary.
Coach Paul Simonis is likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation, although personnel remains tight: Joakim Maehle is out with a serious shoulder injury, while Rogério, Kilian Fischer, Jesper Lindstrøm, and Kevin Paredes are out after foot surgery. Aaron Zehnter is expected to start at left back and Saël Kumbedi at right back, while Konstantinos Koulierakis and Jenson Seelt will form the central defense. In defensive midfield, captain Maximilian Arnold, who recently extended his contract, will play alongside Vini Souza as a double six. In attacking midfield and up front, Andreas Skov Olsen, Lovro Majer, and Mohamed Amoura will play behind lone striker Jonas Wind.
Werder – Wolfsburg Head-to-head & statistics
The last five meetings between Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg have been high-scoring affairs, with at least three goals per game and goals in both halves. In this series, there have been two wins each for Bremen and Wolfsburg and one draw, with the most recent match in March 2024 ending 2-1 for Wolfsburg at the Weserstadion. Wolfsburg scored in all five games, with many goals coming in the second half, while Bremen scored at least once in four of the five games. The second half repeatedly proved to be the decisive phase, with both teams conceding goals in all five encounters and the games often being decided after the break. This pairing shows a recurring pattern: cautious probing at first, then more offensive pressure and increased goal production in the second half, resulting in open, high-scoring games overall.
