In matchday 2 of the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen are all set to host Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen both suffered a defeat in matchday 1 and will be eager to return to winning ways when they lock horns at the Weserstadion.

The home team secured an eighth-placed finish last time out. They missed out on European qualification by the smallest of margins and will be eager to bridge that gap this season.

However, Bremen haven’t had the best of starts to the new season as they got smashed 4-1 at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt. They were by far the second-best team on the night and will have to put up a much-improved performance to secure their first win of the season.

Bayer Leverkusen didn’t have the best of starts to the new era under Erik ten Hag, suffering a shocking 2-1 defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim. While they dominated possession, the 2023/24 champions were not clinical enough in the final third.

After the success they enjoyed under Xabi Alonso, expectations are high for Ten Hag as well. The Dutch manager will be eager to turn things around against Bremen, because if his team continue to perform as they did last time out, the former Manchester United boss could find himself under pressure quickly.

The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Werder Bremen

The home team will be without the services of Jens Stage, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Apart from him, everyone else should be available for selection.

Werder Bremen are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mio Backhaus will be in goal. Yukinari Sugawara and Felix Agu should be the full-backs, with Niklas Stark starting alongside Karim Coulibaly in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Senne Lynen should partner with Leonardo Bittencourt. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure Leverkusen midfielders do not dictate the pace of this game.

Justin Njinmah and Samuel Mbangula will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Romano Schmid should feature in the number ten role, with Marco Grull leading the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Backhaus; Sugawara, Stark, Coulibaly, Agu; Bittencourt, Lynen; Njinmah, Schmid, Mbangula; Grull

Bayer Leverkusen

The visitors have undergone massive changes this summer. Manager Xabi Alonso has left the club to join Real Madrid, while Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka have also followed him on his way out.

Erik ten Hag certainly has a massive task on his hands. He will not only be eager to secure his first league win, but also determined to see a much-improved performance from his side compared to their opening fixture.

He will most likely stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Mark Flekken will continue in goal. Edmond Tapsoba, Jarell Quansah, and Loic Bade should form the back three.

Arthur and Alejandro Grimaldo are expected to be the wing-backs, while Robert Andrich should partner with Aleix Garcia in central midfield. The duo will be looking to control the tempo of the game.

Ibrahim Maza and Nathan Tella will be the two attacking midfielders behind Patrik Schick, who will be leading the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba; Arthur, Andrich, Garcia, Grimaldo; Tella, Maza; Schick

Key Stats

• Bayer Leverkusen have won 20 out of the last 56 matches against Werder Bremen, who have 19 wins during that period.
• However, Bremen have only won one out of their last 10 league outings against Leverkusen.
• Their only league win came away from home (2-0) earlier this year.
• Bremen have been unbeaten in their last four league games at home and have kept a clean sheet in each of those fixtures.
• Leverkusen have been winless in their last four league games, their longest winless streak since May 2023.

Player to Watch

Nathan Tella

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Tella was more of a rotational option under Xabi Alonso last season. While he was involved in 40 matches, he racked up just over 2,000 minutes of first-team action. The 26-year-old still had nine goal contributions to his name.

He is expected to have a prominent role under Erik ten Hag and will be eager to cement his spot in the starting XI. While he is yet to contribute towards a goal, the Nigerian international would want to make a difference in this fixture against Bremen.

Prediction

Werder Bremen 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Both teams head into this fixture looking to bounce back from disappointing opening-day defeats, which makes for an evenly poised encounter at the Weserstadion.

Werder Bremen will look to make the most of their home advantage, especially given their strong record at home towards the end of last season. They will aim to frustrate Leverkusen by staying compact and hitting them on the break. Having been outclassed by Eintracht Frankfurt last time out, Bremen will know they cannot afford another defensive lapse if they want to secure their first points of the campaign.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, will be desperate to get Erik ten Hag’s tenure up and running after a poor showing against Hoffenheim. Despite dominating possession in that game, their lack of cutting edge proved costly, and they will need Patrik Schick and Nathan Tella to step up in the final third. Ten Hag’s men should see plenty of the ball once again, but unless they are sharper in attack, Bremen’s resilience could deny them all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.