SC Freiburg – Werder Bremen
This Saturday, the Bundesliga Conference again has five exciting games for you at the start. In Breisgau, two teams will meet that started the new season quite differently on the first matchday. Whether the duel on Matchday 2 will also reflect the trend from the previous week, you can find out in our Freiburg vs Bremen tip.
The hosts seamlessly continued their strong form from the previous year on Matchday 1. In the guest game against TSG Hoffenheim, the Breisgauer won with 2:1 and thus started perfectly into the new season. Bremen, meanwhile, faced probably the toughest opponent at the start of the season. In the home game against Bayern, the SVW ultimately didn’t stand a chance either, losing 0:4.
And not only in this season, but also in recent years, Freiburg was usually ahead of Bremen. A few years ago, the northern Germans were still regularly present in the international business. However, since Werder’s last European Cup appearance in the 2010/11 season, SC Freiburg has already qualified for a European Cup competition three times. Currently, the Breisgauer are participating in the Europa League for the second time in consecutive seasons.
Freiburg – Bremen info:
- Date & Time: 08/26/2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Game venue: Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg
- Competition: Bundesliga, 2nd Matchday
- TV broadcast: Sky
Freiburg form & balance check
Freiburg once again presented an impressive performance last season. The Breisgauer ultimately secured fifth place in the Bundesliga and also reached the round of 16 in the Europa League. This underscores their ability to keep pace with European competition.
In the new season, Freiburg fans are hoping for a similarly successful season. However, coach Christian Streich’s team struggled somewhat in the DFB Cup opener, winning only 2-0 against Oberachern, a team from the top division. In the opening duel in the Bundesliga, however, the Breisgau side then won a commanding 2-1 against Hoffenheim.
New man in the box
In the last Bundesliga season, SC Freiburg recorded an impressive 13 games without conceding a goal. A feat that has not been achieved more often by any other team. This set the club record of 13 games without conceding a goal. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken was in goal for the Breisgauer in all of these 13 matches.
In the summer, however, the 29-year-old decided to move to Brentford in the Premier League. His successor, however, comes from within the club’s own ranks. Noah Atubolu, who also serves as a regular goalkeeper for the German U21 national team, put in strong performances week after week for SCF’s second team in the 3. Liga. However, on his Bundesliga debut last week, the 21-year-old still seemed a bit nervous.
Freiburg facts & analysis
- Last season in fifth place in the Bundesliga standings.
- Won 2:1 against Hoffenheim in the previous week
- Only three home losses in the league in the preseason
Bremen form & balance check
After a year in the 2nd Bundesliga, Werder Bremen managed to return to the Bundesliga last season. In the process, the relegation fears were almost forgotten. In the end, Werder Bremen secured a commanding 13th place in the standings. However, the start to the new season in the DFB Cup went anything but as planned.
After Amos Pieper was shown a red card in the eleventh minute, the North Germans suffered a 3-2 defeat against Viktoria Köln. And not much went right for Bremen in their Bundesliga opener against Bayern either. SVW fell behind after just four minutes and never recovered. In the end, the result was a somewhat disappointing 0:4 against the record champions.
Holes Werder defense
The offensive-oriented style of play of Werder regularly leads to weaknesses in the defensive structure. Hardly any of Bremen’s games last season ended without a goal conceded. With a total of 64 conceded goals, Werder had the fourth weakest defense in the entire league. In addition, the SVW only managed to prevent a goal against four times last season.
The same challenges were evident in the cup match against Viktoria Köln last Saturday. And against Bayern, too, the gaps in the defense were far too large at times. Bremen’s three-man backline did not look particularly well coordinated and will have to be much more compact in the coming games.
Bremen facts & analysis
- Last year in 13th place in the Bundesliga.
- Lost 0:4 against Bayern in the previous week
- Last season 51 goals in 34 games in the league
Predicted lineup – last update on August 24, 2023
The SCF started the previous week with a 4-4-2 and switched to a three-man backline during the match. Against SVW, however, we expect the Breisgauer to return to their usual system with the four-man backline. However, Nicolas Höfler is still suspended. Merlin Röhl will therefore probably play in the center again.
Bremen will also line up with a three-man backline this week. Coach Ole Werner is expected to go for a 3-1-4-2 system when they face SCF. Füllkrug and Duksch will once again appear together in the front line. In addition, defender Niklas Stark is back on board.
Freiburg – Bremen direct comparison & statistics
There have already been numerous exciting duels between these two teams. However, Bremen have often had the edge, triumphing in 24 of 46 encounters against Freiburg. SCF, on the other hand, has only won twelve times against the North Germans. In the previous season, however, the Breisgauer retained the upper hand in both encounters against the SVW.
- Bremen are without a win in four games against Freiburg.
- Freiburg won their first two games of the season, while Bremen lost both of them
- In the preseason, the two teams were separated by 23 points
