Werder Bremen vs. TSG Hoffenheim preview: Hosts look to leave poor form in 2025

Werder Bremen welcome Hoffenheim to the Weserstadion this weekend, as they look to leave their poor form in 2025.

Werder Bremen 

Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Werder Bremen in the latter stages of 2025. 

After beating Wolfsburg 2-1 in early November, Horst Steffen’s side embarked on a five-match winless run, with the winter break coming after a 0-0 draw with Augsburg. 

Due Grün-Weißen lost three of these five, with the most damaging blow being a 3-2 derby defeat against Hamburg, before they fell to a heavy 4-0 loss against Stuttgart in the final home match of the year. 

Bremen sit 10th, though a seven-point gap to Eintracht Frankfurt in seventh sees a European charge remain unlikely. Back on home soil, they are looking to leave their dismal form in 2025, as they welcome fifth-placed Hoffenheim to the Weserstadion.

Team News

Samuel Mbangula is doubtful heading into the weekend, while Salim Musah, Max Wöbel and Felix Agu are expected to return to the fold later this month. 

Mitchell Weiser continues to remain on the sidelines, with the wide man expected to return in the Spring.

Predicted lineup – 3-5-2: Backhaus – Pieper, Friedl, Coulibaly – Sugawara, Stage, Lynen, Puertas, Schmidt – Schmid, Grüll

Hoffenheim 

Hoffenheim’s current campaign provides a stark contrast when compared with their last. After finding themselves in a relegation battle last term, Christian Ilzer’s men are flying at the top end of the table. 

The Sinsheimers played out a 0-0 draw away at Stuttgart before the break, raising hopes that they are in it for the long haul regarding a European place. 

Though they have not won away from Home since beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in early November.

Four points out of a possible six heading into the pause leaves Die Kraichgauer sitting fifth, after comfortably beating Hamburg by four goals to nil, and picking up the aforementioned point against neighbours Stuttgart.

Team News

Ilzer’s injury list remains much smaller than that of his opposite man, with just Koki Machida sidelined until the end of the season due to a cruciate injury. 

Albian Hajdari is suspended for this clash after picking up too many yellow cards before the pause, while the electric Bazoumana Touré continues his international commitments, with Côte d’Ivoire taking on Egypt in the AFCON quarter-finals on Saturday evening.

Predicted lineup – 4-3-3: Baumann – Coufal, Hranac, Kabak, Bernardo – Prömel, Avdullahu, Burger – Lemperle, Asllani, Prass