Get in the thick of it

Dortmund game preview
Florian Kohfeldt wants to leave the game with three points. (photo: Nordfoto)
First Team
Thursday, 02.05.2019 / 17:21

All or nothing! On Saturday evening as SV Werder take on BVB (18:30 CEST), the three points isn’t the only thing on the line. This match means a lot to both teams. Werder Bremen will be playing to get into Europe whilst Borussia Dortmund will be playing to catch up with FC Bayern in the fight for the title.

Squad update: Florian Kohfeldt surprisingly revealed in the press conference prior to the game that Marco Friedl will replace the suspended Niklas Moisander. Milot Rashica, who had to leave training on Wednesday, will also be for for the weekend. Theodor Gebre Selassie and Max Kruse only took part in a bit of first training due to workload reasons. The game against Dortmund comes too early however for Fin Bartels and Philipp Bargfrede.

Jiri Pavlenka made a big save to deny Paco Alcacer from scoring. (Photo: nordphoto)

The last meeting: The game between the two sides before the winter break saw Borussia Dortmund be victorious at the SIGNAL-Iduna-Park. Paco Alcacer (20’) and Marco Reus (27’) scored to put the home side 2-0 up before Max Kruse (35’) scored for Werder in what turned out to be a open and eventful game. Jiri Pavlenka made numerous saves early on and Davy Klaassen also made a goal line clearance in the first half. However, from making this clearance, the Dutchman had to go off injured after hurting himself in the attempt to clear the ball. In the second half, Werder gave it everything but were unable to come away with a point.

The boss on the game: They are a very strong team, who try to play in your final third. They can change the tempo in an instant and are great on the counter and exploiting space. Those are two of their most stand out features. When off the ball, they convert to a 4-4-2. They can play in a couple of different formations as well but they usually play with two up top. If Lucien Favre expects us to play with a diamond, which may or may not be the case, then it is often the case that the full-backs have an important role to play and so the loss of Marius Wolf plays a big role for us as they often try to neutralize the defensive midfielder in the diamond. What I mean by that, is that it is a basic system that can adapt to any opponents.

Ex-Werder player Thomas Delaney will visit his former club. (photo: nordphoto)

The opponents: Dortmund are in contention for the title. Although they lost the prestigious RevierDerby, title rivals Bayern also dropped points against Nürnberg, leaving everything wide open at the top. Before the season, nobody would have thought it possible, but head coach Lucien Favre has brought some success back to the club after a mixed year and a lot of unrest. With 69 points so far, the Black-Yellows are enjoying one of the best Bundesliga campaigns in the club’s history. However, after the 5-0 loss to Bayern the team seems to be lacking mentally. In the previous game, Marco Reus and Marius Wolf received early marching orders after picking up red cards within five minutes of each other, which shows that the pressure may finally be getting to the young team. Werder will look to make the most of it in a sold-out Weser-Stadion.

Key player: Thomas Delaney personifies Dortmund’s game mentality. The former Werder man occupies a midfield area in front of the defense and for many fans is the aggressive player that the team has been lacking in previous seasons. The Dane normally partners Axel Witsel in midfield and the experienced pair play an important role in the build-up of Dortmund’s attacks. Delaney made 49 competitive appearances for Werder Bremen, scoring seven goals and racking up the same amount of assists.

The officials: Marco Fritz will take charge of the game. The last Werder game that Fritz refereed was the 3-1 home victory against 1. FSV Mainz on Matchday 27. The 41 year old will be assisted by linesmen Dominik Schaal and Marcel Pelgrim. Johann Pfeifer is the fourth official for the game and the video assistants are Frank Willenborg and Arne Aarnink.

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