Werder Bremen face a tough away fixture against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening. The match at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park (20:30 local time) comes after a heavy 7-0 friendly defeat against Twente last week.
Ole Werner's team currently sits eighth in the Bundesliga table with seven points from four games. Their recent league form shows a positive trend with two wins and a draw from the last three matches. The most recent result was a 3-2 home victory over FC Augsburg, sealed by late goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Mitchell Weiser. Füllkrug is the team's current top scorer this season with three goals.
The heavy friendly loss to Twente raises questions about the team's current sharpness. In that match, Werder fell behind early and conceded five goals before halftime. An own goal by Youri Regeer completed the disappointing result. The focus must now quickly shift back to the Bundesliga. The full starting lineup from the friendly is unlikely to be repeated, as Werner has other options for the competitive fixture.
Opponents Borussia Dortmund have started the season perfectly with four wins from four games and lead the table by five points over Werder. Dortmund's last match was a narrow 1-0 away win at Stuttgart. For Werder, this is the first meeting with a direct rival at the top of the table this season. A look at the upcoming fixtures shows the international break follows this top clash.
Despite the friendly thrashing, Werder can draw confidence from their recent league form. The team has scored eight goals in four Bundesliga matches but has also conceded eight. The task in Dortmund is formidable, yet the points haul from recent weeks provides cause for optimism. The match on the fifth matchday will be broadcast live on free-to-air television.
