Werder Bremen come into the weekend free of pressure despite back-to-back defeats, losing 3-1 at home to FC Augsburg and then 1-0 away to TSG Hoffenheim in their last two Bundesliga matches. The bigger talking point is their successful effort to remain in the Bundesliga, with Daniel Thioune’s side six points clear of the bottom three, FC Heidenheim, St. Pauli, and VfL Wolfsburg.
There is no jeopardy going into the final day of the season for Thioune’s side, and they can enjoy their curtain call in the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign against Borussia Dortmund. Speaking of, the Black and Yellows head into the weekend with their league position largely settled, so the emphasis is less on tension and more on making sure the season closes with the right tone.
Saturday’s match has the feel of a dead rubber for them, but that does not make it meaningless, because strong sides still want to leave the final stretch with authority and a sense of momentum. This is a chance for Dortmund to deliver a mature performance, control the occasion and reinforce the idea that they are ending the campaign in a good place.
Even without major jeopardy attached to the result, there is still value in finishing strongly, maintaining standards and taking a positive mood into the summer. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Werder Bremen will have a few key injuries to contend with when they host Borussia Dortmund. Julian Malatini leads the injury list, with Keke Topp, Leo Bittencourt, Mitchell Weiser, Karl Hein, and Yukinari Sugawara all absent.
The latter misses out through suspension, and Weiser’s absence will force the manager to use left-back Felix Agu on the right-hand side. A 4-5-1 formation is expected from Bremen, with Jens Stage, Senne Lynen, and Cameron Puertas expected to take the midfield positions.
Amos Pieper and Marco Friedl are the central defensive pairing, while Justin Njinmah and Romano Schmid will provide the width in midfield. Finally, Salim Musah will lead the line for Werder Bremen, hoping to trouble the formidable Borussia Dortmund backline.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Backhaus; Agu, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Njinmah, Stage, Lynen, Puertas, Schmid; Musah
Niko Kovac is also dealing with a few key injury-related absentees, as Ramy Bensebaini is out with an ankle problem, while key midfielder Emre Can is ruled out for the long term. Mussa Kaba is also listed as a doubt with muscular issues that will see him miss out, too.
Gregor Kobel will retain his spot between the sticks, with a back three of Anton, Waldemar Anton, and the retiring Niklas Sule lining up in the central defensive unit. Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier are expected to feature in the wing-back roles, with Jobe Bellingham and Marcel Sabitzer set to make up the midfield work for Dortmund.
Julian Brandt will play his final game for Borussia Dortmund, and he will wear the captain’s armband as well as take up a key place in the attacking division. Finally, Serhou Guirassy and Samuele Inacio are expected to complete the attacking setup for Dortmund.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anton, Süle, Schlotterbeck; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Beier; Brandt, Inacio; Guirassy
Brandt is set to leave Borussia Dortmund after many successful performances for the club, with over 300 games played in yellow and black. The loss of the attacking star will be a huge void for the club to fill, and the fans gave him a fitting farewell at their home ground last time out.
He will feature for the club one last time as Dortmund take on Bremen away from home. The experienced playmaker will hope to sign off in style, and he will be the man in focus for the away side. Bremen will hope he has a quiet day on the field, but that may not be the case, as will be the hope from Brandt himself.
Werder Bremen have nothing to play for, as is the case with their visitors. While the home side will play without any pressure of looming relegation, they could be in for a difficult time on the pitch. Borussia Dortmund have nothing to play for either, and usually in these scenarios, top teams tend to see out the end of the season in style.
Niko Kovac will want a strong performance to end the campaign, which could spell trouble for Bremen, with the Black and Yellows expected to register a comfortable win and keep a clean sheet in the process. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Kovac and his charges.
