Hoffenheim vs Werder Bremen – News and Probable Lineups

In the penultimate round of the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim, who are in pursuit of Champions League qualification, will take on Werder Bremen, a team fighting against relegation, at PreZero Arena on Saturday in a fixture that holds significant importance for both clubs.

Die Kraichgauer are in dire need of a victory to enhance their chances of finishing in the top four, while Die Werderaner aim to clinch their survival this weekend.

Match overview

Under the guidance of Christian Ilzer, Hoffenheim has emerged as one of the surprising teams in the German top tier this season, recovering from a 15th-place finish in 2024-25 to contend for a spot in the Champions League once more.

Die Kraichgauer were poised to secure a place in UEFA’s elite competition for much of the season, but a streak of just one victory in seven games, commencing with a 2-2 draw against FC Koln on February 21, cast doubt on their qualification hopes.

Nonetheless, Ilzer’s team has regained form in recent weeks, clinching a 2-1 victory against Borussia Dortmund on April 18, followed by another 2-1 win against Hamburger SV a week later, putting them in a position to potentially welcome Europe’s elite to PreZero Arena next season.

However, a 3-3 draw with Stuttgart, a rival for the top-four spots, last weekend has allowed Bayer Leverkusen to mount a surprising challenge in what had appeared to be a two-horse race.

As they head into this crucial match, Hoffenheim occupies the sixth spot in the Bundesliga standings, tied on 58 points with both Die Roten and Die Werkself, but Leverkusen leads the trio due to their superior goal difference over Die Kraichgauer.

With only two matches remaining, Ilzer’s players will likely need to secure maximum points from both fixtures if they hope to finish in fourth place. Fans of the home side may be worried, however, as their team has only managed one win in their last five home matches – that being the triumph over BVB three weeks ago.

On the other hand, Werder manager Daniel Thioune is on the brink of ensuring his team’s status in the Bundesliga, a commendable achievement for the 51-year-old who is in his first managerial stint at a top-flight club.

Since taking over from Horst Steffen in February, Thioune has amassed 13 points from 12 matches, recording four wins, one draw, and seven losses.

While this record might seem lackluster, Die Werderaner have clinched half of their victories this season since the appointment of the former Fortuna Dusseldorf coach, moving up to 15th place in the standings.

Bremen’s current tally of 32 points puts them level with Koln, six points ahead of 16th-placed Wolfsburg and 17th-placed St Pauli, rendering a draw this weekend sufficient to guarantee another season in the top division.

However, the Green-Whites have suffered defeats in three of their last five matches, including a recent 3-1 loss to Augsburg. Fortunately for Thioune, Werder will remain safe if both Wolfsburg and St Pauli fail to collect points in either of their last two league games.

Moreover, the traveling fans will find solace in the fact that the visitors have only lost once in their last four away fixtures, defeating Union Berlin 4-1 on March 8 and edging past Die Wolfe 1-0 two weeks later, followed by an admirable 1-1 draw against Stuttgart on April 26.

Team News

Hoffenheim will be missing right-back Valentin Gendrey due to an ankle problem, as well as center-back Koki Machida, who is close to returning from a long-standing knee injury, but is not expected to play this weekend.

In their absence, Ilzer may choose Ozan Kabak and Albian Hajdari as his central defenders, supported by Vladimir Coufal and Bernardo as full-backs.

As for Werder, they also face defensive absences, with center-back Julian Malatini out for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury, left-back Felix Agu recovering from a muscle issue, and right wing-back Mitchell Weiser nearing a return from his ACL injury.

Taking this into consideration, expect a defensive trio of Amos Pieper, Marco Friedl, and 18-year-old Karim Coulibaly to feature in front of goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, while Yukinari Sugawara and Olivier Deman are likely to provide width from the wing-back positions.

Additionally, striker Keke Topp is in the early stages of his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury sustained in late March, but Jovan Milosevic is available to lead the attack, supported by Jens Stage and Romano Schmid.

Hoffenheim probable starting XI:

Baumann; Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo; Kramaric, Avdullahu, Burger; Lemperle, Aslani, Toure

Werder Bremen probable starting XI:

bakery; Pieper, Friedl, Coulibaly; Sugawara, Puertas, Lynen, Deman; Stage, Schmid; Milosevic

Hoffenheim will look to secure all three points and will be feeling positive about their chances against a team that is battling relegation, though staying concentrated will be essential to avoid any potential surprises.

Werder has an opportunity to confirm their survival and will be striving to ensure their place in the top division, but whether they can replicate the kind of performance that earned them a point against Stuttgart last month remains to be seen.