Pre-Match Report
Borussia and Bremen: lots of goals at both ends
The scenario: Borussia Dortmund (10th place) and Werder Bremen (9th place) are neighbours in the table and the only teams apart from Wolfsburg to have scored more than 30 goals each and conceded more than 30. Both clubs have notable 4-2 victories and 4-2 defeats in their results lists this season. Curiously, the goalless draw in the first meeting this season was the only 0-0 draw for both teams. BVB have won 13 of their last 16 Bundesliga home games against SVW (with one draw and two defeats).
Home & away: The Black & Yellows are fifth in the home table and the Green & Whites are fifth in the away table. After 11 consecutive home wins spanning this season and last in all competitions, BVB have not won at home at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK since the end of November (two draws, two defeats). Werder have picked up six points from their last three away games.
Head-to-head record: Borussia have lost ten games against Bremen after leading 1-0, but they have come from behind to win on eight occasions, most recently in 2020/21. BVB have only won more Bundesliga games against Frankfurt (51) than against Werder (49). That said, only Bayern (54) and Stuttgart (43) have inflicted more defeats on Dortmund than Bremen (42), although just one of the last 12 clashes has ended in a loss for Borussia.
Statistics: Borussia Dortmund have lost their last three Bundesliga matches. The last time the club suffered a losing streak like this was in 2017 under Peter Bosz. Werder Bremen have only won one of their last four matches (a 4-1 win over Union Berlin on 21 December), but have already collected 26 points, six more than at the same point last season (20).
Last season: BVB dominated on Matchday 8, but struggled to find gaps in Werder's solid defence, and when they did, they were thwarted by keeper Michael Zetterer, who definitively claimed the number-one jersey for Bremen in this match. However, a perfect pass from Emre Can set up Julian Brandt to make it 1-0 in the 67th minute. Borussia had 22 shots on goal, while Werder had just six, which was reflected in the "xGoals" ratio (2.71 for BVB and 0.44 for Bremen). However you choose to look at it, the narrow victory for Werder was well deserved.
Biggest home win: The Westphalians have scored 101 home goals against the Hanseatic club. The most in one match came in a 5-0 win on 2 February 1980, with Wolfgang Vöge, Manfred Burgsmüller, Herbert Hein and Theo Schneider (two goals) getting on the scoresheet.
Compiled by Boris Rupert