As of: October 26, 2024 12:27 a.m
Is Werder Bremen haunted by the home curse? The Bundesliga team is still without a goal in the Weser Stadium this season and has celebrated all its victories on foreign grounds. But the real problem isn’t the venue. A look at the previous schedule and the data shows: the Hanseatic League’s problems lie elsewhere.
“The older ones will remember” is a popular saying when it comes to mentally traveling back in history with a little tongue in cheek. As a supporter of SV Werder, you currently have to take a little journey back in time to see the Green-Whites’ last home goal.
It was on May 18th of this year, around 5:17 p.m. Romano Schmid scored – served by Marvin Ducksch – in the 88th minute against VfL Bochum to make the final score 4-1 and let the obligatory fog horn and the goal music “I’m gone be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers sound in the Weserstadion. The older ones will remember.
Second strongest away and second worst home team
Of course, from Bremen’s point of view, this shouldn’t be taken in such a tongue-in-cheek manner. While Werder is the second strongest away team in the league with ten points behind FC Bayern Munich, coach Ole Werner’s team is in second-to-last place in the home table with one point – framed by the promoted teams FC St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel.
What is that, where does the discrepancy come from? On the one hand, it is already apparent when looking at the current schedule. The SVW hosted three teams from the top third of the table at the Weserstadion in Dortmund (0:0), Munich (0:5) and Freiburg (0:1) – but away in Augsburg (2:2), Mainz (2 :1), Hoffenheim (4:3) and Wolfsburg (4:2) only has opponents from the bottom half of the table.
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Significantly less possession of the ball in the Weserstadion
According to data from the Global Soccer Network (GSN), the problem lies more in the fact that Werder can better utilize its potential against weaker teams. It is “clear to see that the style of play and the results are strongly influenced by the quality of the opponents,” say the GSN analysts: “Against top teams, Bremen is forced to act more defensively, while against weaker teams they use their offensive strength and be able to express creativity.”
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This can be seen in almost every statistic imaginable. For example, when it comes to ball possession: At home, Werner’s team hasn’t even managed 45 percent so far, so they all too often allow themselves to be forced into the opponent’s game and put themselves on the defensive. Away, however, it is a dominant 54 percent.
Better away from home in many statistics
Or with the shots: In the Weserstadion, Werder has so far not managed an average of six shots (1.3 of them on goal), the number of expected goals is 0.46. In foreign arenas, however, there are an average of almost 14 shots (6.25 on goal) and a strong 2.25 “expected goals”.
Werner: Leverkusen with “another quality”
Eighth place in the table reflects the level of performance quite well. For the Green-Whites, if they want to establish themselves permanently in the top third and take the next step in their development, it is about using the potential that is undoubtedly in the team, even against stronger opponents. About finding your own game and not letting your opponent’s game be imposed on you. They have the opportunity to do that today against the current champions. Bayer Leverkusen comes to the Weserstadion (in the NDR Livecenter) at 6:30 p.m.
Will Werder score their first home goal against last season’s “Dominator” – or even their first home win since May 18th? Leverkusen is a team “that of course has a different quality,” said coach Werner on Thursday. But it is not without prospects, as the analyzes show.
Bayer vulnerable to counterattacks and standard situations
According to GSN, on the one hand, SVW would have to “show a very compact and disciplined defensive performance” and try to exploit “Leverkusen’s weaknesses in standard situations and in the transition game”. Xabi Alonso’s team has allowed an average of eight counterattacks per game so far.
Werder’s chance of creating chances exists if the team “immediately plays deep after winning the ball and attacks the spaces behind the attacking full-backs.” It’s about “avoiding the direct duel in midfield as best as possible” and getting the ball to the champion’s goal as directly as possible.
“It’s about us continuing the good game in Wolfsburg and then I think we’ll be able to score goals.”
Werder coach Ole Werner
In addition, Alonso’s team, which has already conceded 13 goals, was repeatedly vulnerable to set pieces. On the defensive, Werder’s main priority is to defend the center and the passing lanes and force the Rhinelanders onto the flanks, where they are less dangerous.
Beyond the tactical maneuvers, Werner believes above all in a “flow” that he wants to take with him. “It’s about us continuing the good game in Wolfsburg and then I think we’ll be able to score goals,” said the 36-year-old on Thursday. So that today, after around five months, a foghorn will once again be heard on the Weser that does not come from a ship.
Possible lineups:
Werder Bremen: Zetterer – Agu, Jung, Malatini, Friedl, Weiser – Bittencourt, Lynen – Schmid, Grüll – Ducksch.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky – Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie – Grimaldo, Andrich, Xhaka, Frimpong – Hofmann, Boniface, Wirtz.
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