Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen preview: Sides look to pull away from drop zone

Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg have had a challenging start to their Bundesliga campaign, facing some of the league's top teams early on. Having already clashed with reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen, last season’s runners-up Stuttgart, Bayern München, and third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, Die Wölfe have found the going tough.

Despite securing just one point from those fixtures, their narrow defeats—3-2 against Bayern, 4-3 to Leverkusen, and 2-1 to Frankfurt—highlight their competitive edge against top-tier opposition. Their lone win so far came against Bochum, though it was a hard-fought victory. Wolfsburg conceded four big chances in that match and generated slightly lower non-penalty expected goals (npxG) than their opponents, raising questions about their overall performance.

Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, however, remains optimistic, pointing out that Wolfsburg’s high-pressing style allowed Bochum to dominate possession, which ultimately played into their hands.

So far this season, Wolfsburg have scored 13 goals and conceded 12, ranking them as the Bundesliga’s sixth-best attacking team but only 11th defensively. Their recent form includes one win, one draw, and two losses from their last four games. Worryingly, home form has been an issue, with the team failing to win any of their last four home fixtures, losing three and drawing one.

Team News

Wolfsburg are currently dealing with several injury setbacks. Defender Rogerio and goalkeeper Niklas Klinger are out, alongside key players Mattias Svanberg, Lukas Nmecha, and Kevin Paredes.

Midfielders Aster Vranckx and Mathys Angely are not expected back until mid-November and December, respectively. Additionally, attackers Lovro Majer and Bartosz Bialek are unavailable, which could see Mohamed El Amine Amoura and Tiago Tomas lead the line up-front.

Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen are coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss to Freiburg, where Ritsu Doan’s 75th-minute strike proved to be the difference. Despite controlling 58% of possession, Bremen conceded three big chances and managed to create only one.

Manager Ole Werner did not hold back in his criticism of the team's display, lamenting their slow ball movement and missed opportunities in front of goal. Defensively, Bremen have struggled, conceding ten goals in their last three Bundesliga matches, while offensive problems persist, with the team failing to score in three of their last five outings.

Though Die Grün-Weißen have lost two of their last three league matches, they’ve shown better form on the road, winning three and drawing two of their last five away games.

Team News

Bremen are dealing with several injury concerns of their own. Winger Abdenego Nankishi, midfielder Jens Stage, and centre-back Milos Veljkovic are all sidelined until November. 

Niklas Stark, Mio Backhaus, and Justin Njinmah are nearing returns but are not expected to feature until late October. Meanwhile, Keke Topp and Olivier Deman remain doubtful for Sunday’s match but are expected to return soon.