Werder Bremen vs Mainz – News and Probable Lineups

This Sunday, Werder Bremen’s Weserstadion will be the setting for their Bundesliga match against relegation rivals Mainz 05.

Bremen face the risk of dropping from 13th to the relegation playoff position, with their current total of 25 points just one point above 16th-placed St Pauli. Meanwhile, Mainz sits at 15th place but are only just above trouble due to goal difference.

Match overview

The home side enters this fixture on a high note after their 4-1 victory over Union Berlin on March 8, marking their second consecutive win following a 2-0 success against Heidenheim in late February.

The two wins have ended a long streak of 13 matches without a victory, comprising nine losses and four draws, and their six goals in these recent games outnumber the five they scored in the nine prior matches.

Head coach Daniel Thioune seems to have shifted the team’s fortunes after an initial rough start with three defeats in his first matches at the helm. However, the team still ranks as one of the worst defensively in the league, having conceded 45 goals.

The coming weeks will be crucial for the club as they face 15th-placed Mainz, 17th-placed Wolfsburg, and 14th-placed FC Koln in three of their next four Bundesliga fixtures.

Fans at Weserstadion witnessed their team triumph over Heidenheim in their last home game, marking their first win at home in seven attempts, also achieving their first clean sheet in eight matches played at the stadium.

Mainz secured a crucial point by holding Stuttgart to a 2-2 draw on March 7, which was their third successive Bundesliga stalemate.

The away side extended their drawing run to four matches when they were held to a goalless draw by Sigma Olomouc on Thursday in the first leg of their Conference League round of 16 tie.

Urs Fischer’s team netted four times across those draws, while they had been averaging two goals per game in their prior six outings.

Die Nullfunfer have recorded two draws, one loss, and one win in their last four away matches, although they went winless in their preceding nine away encounters, suffering six defeats in that stretch.

Mainz drew 1-1 against Bremen in the previous encounter in November 2025, but they have lost in their last three meetings with their hosts.

Team News

Werder Bremen’s recent improvement in performances has been notable, especially with their star striker Victor Boniface sidelined due to a long-term knee issue.

The absence of the center-forward is likely to be covered by Keke Topp, who may be assisted in the attack by Romano Schmid and Marco Grull.

In the midfield, Jens Stage and Senne Lynen have been consistent performers, potentially joined by Cameron Puertas.

Mainz are grappling with several injuries, with as many as eight players possibly unavailable, including central defenders Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Stefan Bell.

The visitors might field a three-man defense featuring Danny da Costa, Stefan Posch, and Dominik Kohr, who will likely start behind midfielders Paul Nebel, Kaishu Sano, and Jae-Sung Lee.

Werder Bremen probable starting XI:

bakery; Sugawara, Stark, Friedl, Deman; Stage, Lynen, Puertas; Grull, Topp, Schmid

Mainz 05 probable starting XI:

Batz; Da Costa, Posch, Kohr; Widmer, Nebel, Sano, Lee, Mwene; Tietz, Becker