Form
Werder recorded a deserved 1-0 victory at Hannover 96 in their opening league game of the new year, but the result hung in the balance until the very end due to the visitors’ lack of composure in the final third (they converted just one of their 14 efforts at goal). That profligacy is part of the reason why Bremen only managed one win from their last eight Bundesliga encounters of 2018.
Despite ending the first half of the season in disappointing fashion, Werder head into Saturday’s game in ninth place in the table with seven wins, seven defeats and a goal difference of zero (29 goals scored and 29 conceded). The Green-Whites, who hold the impressive record of being the only German top-flight side to score in every league game this season, have their sights firmly set on climbing the table.
Tactics
Werder usually line up in a 4-3-3 formation with three central strikers, although that system is not exactly set in stone. Veteran No.10 Max Kruse in particular likes to drop deep, thereby turning the midfield three into a four-man diamond. The two attacking midfield players - former Everton man Davy Klaassen and rising star Maximilian Eggestein – join the attack whenever they can, as do the two full-backs.
Particularly after going in front, Bremen are not afraid to switch to a more conservative 4-4-2 system and hit their opponents on the counterattack.
One to watch: Maximilian Eggestein
The fresh-faced Eggestein epitomises the mood within the Werder camp at present. Like head coach Florian Kohfeldt, the 22-year-old Germany youth international has risen through the ranks at Bremen, internalising the values of the club in the process.
Eggestein, whose immeasurable talents are best suited to a central midfield role, has developed into a reliable performer at Bundesliga level. The older brother of Johannes Eggestein – who was tipped to become an even better player than his sibling not so long ago – Maximilian made 33 Bundesliga appearances during the 2017/18 campaign. Only right-back Theodor Gebre Selassie played more minutes in the Bundesliga (1,613) than Eggestein over the course of the campaign.
Eggestein not only plays frequently, he also works incredibly hard, covering 12 kilometres on a regular basis and making room for his team-mates with clever, darting runs. The leggy midfielder is also a threat in the final third, registering four goals and one assist during the first half of the season. When Bremen lose the ball, he uses his physical presence to plug gaps in defence and regain possession with full-blooded tackles on opposition players.
