With a place in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal up for grabs on Tuesday, Bundesliga side Werder Bremen are set to welcome 2. Bundesliga team SV Darmstadt 98 to Weserstadion.
The Green-Whites are 12th in the top flight with 16 points from 12 matches and progressed to the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal after beating Paderborn 1-0 on October 30, whereas the visitors are 11th in the second tier with 20 points after 14 games and triumphed 3-2 against Dynamo Dresden in the previous round in late October.
Match preview
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The hosts drew 2-2 with Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday, and they may be disappointed by the result given they had taken a 1-0 lead after just six minutes and led 2-1 in the 77th minute but conceded an 85th-minute equaliser.
Werder Bremen boss Ole Werner aired his disappointment in the aftermath of the draw but was not overly critical of his players, saying: "What's frustrating is that we gave them a chance to make it 2-2. But, feeling frustrated at only managing to take a point off a team like Stuttgart is also a sign that we're on the right path."
The away side's record of 19 goals scored and 24 conceded makes them the top flight's joint eighth-best offensive and joint third-worst defensive team.
Werner's players have been inconsistent in recent weeks considering they have been beaten twice, drawn once and won twice in their last five games.
Werder Bremen are unbeaten in their past three home matches but have only emerged victorious in one of their six outings at Weserstadion this season.
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As for Darmstadt, they will believe they can advance to the next round given their strong form, with the club having won five and drawn three of their last eight matches.
Manager Florian Kohfeldt only took charge of the club in September but boasts a record of six wins, four draws and one defeat.
Darmstadt's return of 28 goals scored in the 2. Bundesliga is the league's joint second-best offensive record, but their tally of 24 conceded makes them the division's seventh-worst defensive team.
Kohfeldt's side are unbeaten away from home since September 20, winning four times and drawing on one occasion in that period.
The visitors have won four and lost two of their last six fixtures in the DFB-Pokal, each of which has featured at least three goals.
Team News
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Werder Bremen have relatively few injury concerns, though wing-back Felix Agu and centre-back Marco Friedl are not set to return to action until late December.
The hosts could line up with Julian Malatini, Milos Veljkovic and Anthony Jung in the heart of defence, while Mitchell Weiser and Derrick Kohn may flank the trio.
Striker Keke Topp is likely to be sidelined until February 2025, so expect Werner to select a forward line consisting of Marvin Ducksch, Marco Grull and Romano Schmid.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without defenders Christoph Zimmermann and Matthias Bader, while midfielders Fabian Holland and Paul Will have also been ruled out.
Darmstadt could field a back four of Sei Muroya, Phil Neumann, Marcel Halstenberg and Bartlomiej Wdowik behind a double pivot featuring Max Christiansen and Enzo Leopold.
Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Zetterer; Malatini, Veljkovic, Jung; Weiser, Bittencourt, Lynen, Kohn; Grull, Schmid; Ducksch
SV Darmstadt 98 possible starting lineup:
Zieler; Muroya, Neumann, Halstenberg, Wdowik; Momuluh, Leopold, Christiansen, Hyun-ju; Tresoldi, Voglsammer
We say: Werder Bremen 2-1 SV Darmstadt 98
It would not be surprising if Darmstadt managed to take the lead on Tuesday given their strong offensive record.
However, it is difficult to see Werder Bremen losing considering the gulf in quality between the Bundesliga side and their opponents, and they should be considered strong favourites.
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