Werder Bremen face a tough challenge on the second Bundesliga matchday when fourth-placed RB Leipzig visit the Weserstadion on September 5, 2026. The Green-Whites started the season with a defeat and sit 15th in the table with zero points, one goal scored and four conceded.
What is Werder's current situation?
The team coached by Daniel Thioune lost their season opener and are in 15th place with a goal difference of -3 and zero points. This puts them three points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The injury to Jens Stage, who was the club's top scorer last season with ten goals, is a major blow. Thioune described the thigh injury as "a kind of worst-case scenario". Alongside Stage, Felix Agu, Justin Njinmah and Senne Lynen are also sidelined, as shown in the current injury list.
What historical record works against Werder?
The statistics paint a clear picture in favour of the visitors from Leipzig. RB Leipzig have won twelve of the 18 Bundesliga meetings with Werder Bremen and are unbeaten in the last six seasons. Their last defeat dates back to May 18, 2019. Leipzig have won nine of the last twelve league encounters, including clear victories like 3-0 in 2019 and 4-1 in 2021. They also prevailed in the 2021 DFB-Pokal semi-final. Against no other Bundesliga club has RB Leipzig recorded more victories than against Werder Bremen.
Who are the key players in this matchup?
For Bremen, a special responsibility falls on Niclas Füllkrug. The 33-year-old striker has scored five times in ten competitive appearances against Leipzig, although his most recent goal was on December 9, 2023 for Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly, Füllkrug finished joint-top of the Bundesliga scoring charts in the 2022/23 season with 16 goals, alongside Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku has just returned to Leipzig and could make his first start after a 30-minute appearance on matchday one against Gladbach. His coach Martín Demichelis said: "I'm delighted to have a player like him in the squad."
How is Werder preparing for the match?
To fill the gap left by Jens Stage, Youri Regeer is expected to take on a larger role. Moussa Ndiaye, who was on loan at Schalke 04 last season, is also available. The team must become more defensively solid after conceding four goals on the opening matchday. The entire season planning and upcoming fixtures are affected by these early absences. Leipzig, on the other hand, arrive with momentum after winning 3-0 against Gladbach on the first matchday. Ridle Baku, who scored in the first game, commented: "Winning 3-0 at home is a bit of a message for the rest of the league." This assessment was originally reported by sports.yahoo.com.
Werder Bremen's next fixture is the match against RB Leipzig on September 5, 2026 at their home Weserstadion. The current league standings can be viewed at any time.
