Bundesliga league leader Borussia Dortmund is set to face Werder Bremen on Friday at the Signal Iduna Park after the international break, as Niko Kovac’s men look to continue their strong form.
Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen – Match preview and team news
- Date: Friday, 9th October.
- Kick-off: 7:30pm BST.
- Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Borussia Dortmund faces a severe defensive crisis under manager Niko Kovač ahead of Friday’s Bundesliga clash. Midfielder Emre Can remains sidelined with a long-term ACL injury, while youngster Filippo Mane is out with a muscle tear.
The league leaders also lack attacking depth after injuries to Giannis Konstantelias and Justin Lerma. The biggest headache lies in defence, where full-backs Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson are major doubts after picking up knocks on international duty.
Centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck is racing against time to pass a late fitness test following a training injury with Germany. If cleared, Schlotterbeck will anchor the back three alongside Waldemar Anton and teenager Joane Gadou ahead of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
In midfield, Felix Nmecha and Joey Veerman are expected to hold the centre, while Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Silva support star striker Serhou Guirassy.
Werder Bremen team news
Werder Bremen is in even worse shape, dealing with an extensive injury list that leaves manager Daniel Thioune without eight key squad members.
The team’s midfield core is entirely depleted, with Jens Stage, Senne Lynen, and Skelly Alvero all officially ruled out. Defensively, left-backs Moussa N’Diaye and Felix Agu are sidelined, forcing Olivier Deman to step into a vital defensive role.
The crisis extends to the attack, where strikers Justin Njinmah, Keke Topp, and Salim Musah are unavailable. Fortunately, goalkeeper Karl Hein has recovered from an international duty scare and is fit to start.
The big boost for the visitors is the presence of former Dortmund forward Niclas Füllkrug, who recently rejoined Bremen on loan from West Ham. Füllkrug is in top form and will spearhead the attack against his former club, supported by Marco Grüll and Eren Dinkci.
Form
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund has enjoyed a perfect start to their Bundesliga campaign, sitting comfortably at the top of the table. They enter this fixture on the back of six consecutive victories across all competitions. In their last league match before the international break, they secured a hard-fought 1-0 away win against VfB Stuttgart. Defensively solid, they have conceded just twice in their opening four matches while scoring nine goals, all from open play.
Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen has bounced back strongly after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Freiburg on the opening weekend. They have since collected seven points from their last nine available, most recently defeating Augsburg 3-2 at home. They also secured a notable 3-3 draw at home to RB Leipzig and a 1-1 tie away at Köln. The team sits eighth in the standings, marking their best start to a top-flight season since 2022.
Predicted lineups
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Gadou; Svensson, Nmecha, Veerman, Beier; Nwaneri, Silva; Guirassy
Werder Bremen: Hein; Arthur, Friedl, Pieper, Deman; Regeer, Reis; Dinkci, Chuki, Grull; Fullkrug
How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen?
You can watch the Borussia Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen match completely free-to-air in the UK.
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