The Foals are eager for their Werder revenge
In the (still) healthy midfield of the standings, it comes to a duel on Friday evening between two teams that are currently equal on points in the table. Borussia from Mönchengladbach will meet SV Werder Bremen and have set themselves the goal of taking revenge for the defeat in the first leg. At the beginning of October, the Foals lost 1:5 away at the Weser and disgraced themselves to the bone. The Farke team should therefore not be lacking in motivation.
In view of the recent results of both teams, however, it is difficult to give a tip on the outcome of the match between Gladbach and Werder Bremen. The team from the Lower Rhine has gone winless and scoreless three times in a row; the Green-Whites, meanwhile, have already lost six of their nine matches after the winter break. A clear momentum in one of the two directions can therefore not be discerned.
Despite the fact that the teams’ confidence is by no means at boiling point, we are not averse to predicting that a goal or two will be scored before the Gladbach vs Werder Bremen clash.
It is not without reason that Marcus Thuram (71) and Niclas Füllkrug (69), the two attackers who have scored the most goals so far this season, are facing each other. The coaches also tend to take a more attacking approach, so we expect a lively encounter on an equal footing – perhaps with minimal advantages in favour of the home side.
Gladbach – Statistics & current form
Borussia Mönchengladbach are currently mediocrity personified in Germany’s best football league. In tenth place in the table, the Foals are ten points behind sixth position, but at the same time have a fairly comfortable ten-point lead over the relegation place at the bottom. It sounds like the team from the Lower Rhine is playing for the proverbial golden pineapple.
This is exactly the impression they have been getting recently, as good performances such as the 3:2 win against FC Bayern or the goalless draw against SC Freiburg have alternated with poor performances in Mainz (0:4) or in Leipzig (0:3). There is no trace of consistency. Borussia is and remains a real surprise package, which at least shows its positive face more often in its own stadium.
Gladbach are clearly stronger at home
This can also be proven statistically, as the Foals have scored a staggering 23 of their 30 points at home. In the home table, coach Daniel Farke’s team occupies a satisfactory sixth place. Seven victories were offset by two draws and three defeats.
It is also worth mentioning that the former German champions have not celebrated more home victories against any other Bundesliga team than against the men from the Weser. Apart from that, none of the last ten home games in the Bundesliga were lost against the upcoming opponents. Reasons enough to consider odds on a home win or at least double odds 1X in the first matchday 25 match between Gladbach and Werder Bremen.
However, the VfL’s offensive output is in need of improvement. Borussia recently failed to score three times in a row. For the first time in five years, the Foals are struggling with such a dry spell. Otherwise, however, there is usually a spectacle in front of the home supporters. In six of the past eight home games, for example, both teams scored. An approach that also attracts our interest for Friday. Especially because in the twelve home games so far, a total of 40 goals have been scored, i.e. far more than three on average per match.
Last games of Gladbach:
Bundesliga
11/03/2023 – RB Leipzig 3 – 0 Gladbach
04/03/2023 – Gladbach 0 – 0 SC Freiburg
25/02/2023 – Mainz 05 4 – 0 Gladbach
18/02/2023 – Gladbach 3 – 2 Bayern Munich
12/02/2023 – Hertha BSC 4 – 1 Gladbach
Werder Bremen – Statistics & current form
At SV Werder Bremen, the tension has risen noticeably in recent days and weeks. With a ten-point cushion on the relegation play-off places, those responsible do not need to worry about a season-ending spurt in the relegation battle, but the North Germans would certainly be well advised to collect the necessary points as quickly as possible in order to reach the magic 40-point mark.
The trend curve has clearly been pointing downwards recently. After the winter break, Werner’s team lost six of its nine matches. In seven games in the second half of the season, they have only managed a total of nine meagre points. In addition to three victories, there were also four defeats. Two of these four defeats can be traced back to the last two match days, when SV Werder lost 2-1 in Augsburg and 2-3 at home to Leverkusen.
Bremen can’t keep things tight at the back
In general, the defence has proved to be a weak point throughout the season. Currently, 46 goals have been conceded. The majority of the goals conceded were scored away from home (25). In fact, only VfL Bochum have conceded more goals than the men from the Weser, who have only managed to keep their clean sheet in four of their 24 Bundesliga games so far.
In seven of the eleven away games played, a bet on “both goals” would have gone through. Also on Friday, Gladbach and Werder Bremen will offer appealing odds for both teams to score. At the same time, we do not believe in a full success of the visiting team, especially since five of the past six guest games in the German top flight were lost from SVW’s point of view. It would therefore be conceivable to combine the 1X with the BTS (“Both Teams to score”).
When it comes to the question of a potential scorer on the side of the team from the Osterdeich, the answer can only be Niclas Füllkrug. Against Leverkusen, the national striker already scored his 15th goal of the season and against Borussia, the penalty area striker is even particularly fond of scoring. Against no other first division team did Füllkrug record more goal participations (six) than against the Foals. He was also the match-winner in the 5:1 victory in the first leg with a brace and an assist.
Last matches of Werder Bremen:
Bundesliga
12/03/2023 – Werder Bremen 2 – 3 Bayer Leverkusen
04/03/2023 – Augsburg 2 – 1 Werder Bremen
25/02/2023 – Werder Bremen 3 – 0 VfL Bochum
19/02/2023 – Eintracht Frankfurt 2 – 0 Werder Bremen
11/02/2023 – Werder Bremen 0 – 2 Borussia Dortmund
Gladbach – Werder Bremen Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
The 5-1 win for Bremen in the first leg, which has already been mentioned several times, was the first victory for the charges from the Weser against Borussia from Mönchengladbach since August 2015 and after eleven consecutive Bundesliga games before that. The North Germans were already 3:0 ahead after 13 minutes back then.
In the recent past, however, the Green-Whites have not been able to win much at Borussia Park. Werder have not won any of the last ten BL away games at the Niederrhein (three draws, seven defeats). The last away win dates back to 2010 and is therefore more than twelve years in the past.
Gladbach – Werder Bremen Tip
The 25th matchday in the Bundesliga will open on Friday evening at 20:30 at Borussia Park with the match between Gladbach and Werder Bremen. Betting odds of 1.95 on a home win ensure that the Foals are the favourites.
This is supported by the fact that the team from the Lower Rhine is sixth in the home table and has collected 23 of its 30 points at home, while Bremen have lost five of their last six away games. In addition, the team from the Weser has now waited ten league games for an away win at Borussia. There is not much to suggest that this dry spell will now end.
On the other hand, we are convinced that the Farke eleven will once again show the good face from the home games and not leave the pitch as losers. On the other hand, we do not rule out the possibility that both teams will score. The weaknesses of VfL and SVW are more defensive in nature anyway. Offensively, the teams have a lot of potential.
