Bayern Munich will look to build on their incredible start to the new Bundesliga season when they hit the road to square up against Werder Bremen.
Unbeaten Werder Bremen will look to secure their second win of the new season when they host Bavarian giants Bayern Munich on Saturday night.
The home team started off with two draws in the opening two fixtures before securing a hard-fought 2-1 win over FSV Mainz in their last outing. Despite being reduced to ten men, they managed to score the winner and held onto the lead until the end.
Werder Bremen had to give it their all to secure a win in this fixture, and they won’t find it easy against Bayern Munich who have made a flying start to the new season. Die Roten did miss out on the league title last season as Bayer Leverkusen dominated the proceedings. But, they have made just the perfect start with three wins in three outings and sit at the top of the table.
Vincent Kompany’s team are heading into this one on the back of a 6-1 win over Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga. They followed it up with a 9-2 win against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League and will now aim for their fourth consecutive win in the league. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use,
Team News & Tactics
Werder Bremen
The hosts will be without quite a few first-team players. Marco Friedl is suspended from this outing after being sent off last time out. Naby Keita is still absent from the squad, while Justin Njinmah, Milos Veljkovic, Oliver Burke and Olivier Deman are all unavailable.
Ole Werner will go ahead with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Michael Zetterer will be in goal. Julian Malatini will come in for the suspended Friedl. He will take charge alongside Niklas Stark and Anthony Jung in the heart of the defence.
Mitchell Weiser and Felix Agu will feature as the wing-backs. The duo will look to provide the backline with the much-needed support. In the centre of the park, Senne Lynen will feature alongside Jens Stage. The duo will look to ensure Bayern Munich do not end up dictating the pace of this game.
Romano Schmid and Marco Grüll are likely to be the two attacking midfielders who will provide width to their attacks and create chances for Marvin Ducksch, who will spearhead the Werder Bremen attack against Bayern Munich.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zetterer; Malatini, Stark, Jung; Weiser, Lynen, Stage, Agu; Schmid, Grull; Ducksch
Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer will undergo a late fitness test, but he is expected to be fit enough to start in this outing. Vincent Kompany will be without the services of Arijon Ibrahimovic, Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic, Sacha Boey, and Tarek Buchmann. Apart from the quintet, Daniel Peretz is also a doubt for this outing on Saturday.
The visitors will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Manuel Neuer in goal. Konrad Laimer and Raphael Guerreiro should be the full-backs for this fixture, while Kim Min-jae will most likely start alongside Dayot Upamecano in the heart of the defence.
Joshua Kimmich and Joao Palhinha will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will shield the backline and control the tempo and ensure they have the lion’s share of the possession.
Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry should feature on the flanks for Bayern Munich, while Jamal Musiala will continue in the number 10 role. Finally, Harry Kane, who has been in red-hot form since the start of the season, will take charge as the central striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Kim, Upamecano, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Palhinha; Coman, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Key Stats
- Both teams have squared up against each other on 128 occasions, with Bayern Munich winning 72 and Werder Bremen registering 30 wins.
- The home team are unbeaten in their last four eight league outings with four wins and four draws.
- Both teams won their away fixture last season and Bremen’s 1-0 win in January was their first since 2008.
- Bayern Munich have won all their fixtures across competitions in the 2024/25 season so far.
- Bayern Munich have scored 15 goals in their last two outings.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Kane has to be the one to watch out for with nine goals and three assists in his first five fixtures of the 2024/25 season. He has contributed towards eight goals in Bayern Munich’s last two outings, as he scored a hat-trick in their last league outing and bagged four goals in their UEFA Champions League opener. He will be eager to carry on in a similar fashion against Werder Bremen.
Prediction
Werder Bremen 0-5 Bayern Munich
Given the manner in which Bayern Munich have won their last two outings, the unbeaten Werder Bremen will also struggle to keep things tight against a team that have been scoring goals for fun. With Vincent Kompany’s men finding the back of the net on 15 occasions in their last two outings, expect them to bag quite a few in this away fixture. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-0 win for the away team.