Werder Bremen's Bundesliga season began with a heavy 4-1 defeat away to SC Freiburg. Daniel Thioune's team conceded three goals from Yuito Suzuki and one from Igor Matanovic in front of a sold-out crowd of 34,700 at the Europa-Park Stadion, as reported by n-tv.de.
SV Werder Bremen finished the previous season in 15th place with 32 points from 34 games. Their record was eight wins, eight draws, and 18 defeats. A goal difference of minus 23 (37 scored, 60 conceded) and being 57 points behind champions Bayern Munich highlight the need for improvement. The next fixture is on September 5th against third-placed RB Leipzig, which can be found on our fixtures page.
How did the match unfold?
Werder started the Saturday match with good pressure and controlled the first twenty minutes. However, SC Freiburg, freshly qualified for the Conference League, then took command. In the 29th minute, Yuito Suzuki headed in from a Jan-Niklas Beste corner to make it 1-0. Shortly before halftime, Igor Matanovic scored a remarkable long-range effort for 2-0. After the break, Suzuki continued his show. He made it 3-0 in the 48th minute after an assist from Derry Scherhant, before completing his first Bundesliga hat-trick in his 26th match seven minutes later following a tackle and pass from Matanovic. After falling behind, Werder was mostly occupied with defending. A consolation goal came from Dariusz Stalmach in the 76th minute, with Freiburg's goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, a former Werder keeper, not looking good on the play.
What does Niclas Füllkrug's return mean?
A positive note for Werder was the return of Niclas Füllkrug. The 33-year-old striker played his first Bundesliga match for the club since May 2024, the club where he once became a German international and top scorer. Four days after his loan move from English relegated side West Ham United, he had already contributed a penalty for the 2-0 in a 3-0 DFB-Pokal win against Lüneburger SK Hansa. In the Freiburg match, he was substituted in the 61st minute for Cedric Itten. His experience will be vital for the struggling team, as shown in the current squad overview.
What personnel issues does Werder face?
The defeat is overshadowed by a long-term injury. Danish midfielder Jens Stage is out for months with a serious muscle injury and will be missing until the end of the year. "He is an absolute key performer and is difficult to replace," said sporting director Clemens Fritz according to n-tv.de. The club is therefore looking for a replacement. According to the magazine 'Kicker', Youri Regeer from Ajax Amsterdam is to be loaned. This injury is a major blow to the squad planning.
What comes next after this defeat?
The 4-1 loss is the fifth consecutive defeat against SC Freiburg. Furthermore, Werder Bremen is still waiting for its first opening day win since 2013. Sporting director Clemens Fritz commented on the heavy defeat with the words: "This is a huge shock. We are on it." The team must now quickly analyze the mistakes and focus on the demanding home match against RB Leipzig. The current standings table shows that every point counts from the start to avoid getting into another relegation battle. The defense, which conceded 60 goals last season, must become more stable.
