Werder Bremen's strong start to the season has sparked talk of a return to European competition. Following an away win at TSG Hoffenheim last Saturday, SV Werder sits fifth in the Bundesliga table, having accumulated 15 points from eight games, with four wins and three draws.
Coach Daniel Thioune addressed this unexpectedly high position after the match. He said the team was in very elite company and that he looks at the table because it gives him a good feeling. The 2-0 victory in Hoffenheim on Saturday 31 October was secured by goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Eren Dinkci. For Füllkrug, it was already his ninth goal of the season, making him the league's top scorer. The team has scored 17 goals in total this campaign.
The discussion about a possible European qualification was also initiated by Thioune's colleague Christian Ilzer. The coach of the opposing team said after the match that if Werder continues like this next year, they will play internationally. For Werder, it would be the first participation in a European competition since the season under Thomas Schaaf.
The current form supports the optimists. In the last five games, Werder remained unbeaten four times and suffered only one defeat, a record of two wins, two draws and one loss. This run includes the 2-0 win in Hoffenheim, a 3-2 loss in Dortmund, a 3-2 away win in Mainz, and two 2-2 draws against Paderborn and Dortmund. The team has a positive goal difference of plus three, having scored 17 and conceded 14. The gap to the top of the table is just three points.
The next test awaits on Saturday 7 November with an away game at VfB Stuttgart, who currently sit 11th. A look at the upcoming fixtures shows that Daniel Thioune's team can consolidate its strong starting position in the coming weeks. Recent results underline the squad's capability.
This story first appeared at Bild Sport
