The title race may be over, but the race for Europe continues as Werder Bremen host RB Leipzig in a season-defining clash on Saturday. With three points separating the two teams, losing this fixture will crush the losing side's hopes.
Even if Werder Bremen do not achieve their end goal of playing in Europe next season, Ole Werner's work in the last four years has made the River Islanders competitive once more. He took over when the team was at its worst after getting relegated to the lower tier for the first time in nearly 50 years. He got them promoted back to the elite and the team has finished higher and higher each season.
Werder Bremen are currently unbeaten in six consecutive Bundesliga games and sit three points below RB Leipzig in 6th place. With only two games remaining, the River Islanders need back-to-back wins to secure their tickets to the Conference League.
Meanwhile, the Red Bulls are trying to save their season and get back to the Champions League but the three consecutive winless games put them behind schedule. RB finished in the Top 4 in seven of the last eight seasons before this one, which means this could be their worst performance since their promotion to the elite.
How the bookies view it: The River Islanders to claim the spoils
The odds confirm what we already knew ahead of this fixture. It will be one of the most competitive clashes in the penultimate round. Bookmakers give Werder Bremen 27/20 to win on Saturday, while you can pick RB Leipzig at 9/5. The draw is available at 27/10.
Recent head to head: RB haven't lost since 2019
The River Islanders have had few reasons to celebrate after meeting RB Leipzig in the past decade. The teams have met a total of 15 times in the Bundesliga and Werder Bremen won only twice, the last time being in 2019. Meanwhile, the Red Bulls have amassed 10 wins against this rival, including a 4-2 in the reverse fixture this season.
Players to watch: Weiser can make the difference
Werder Bremen have several key players who have made a serious impact in different parts of the season, and Mitchell Weiser is the one who stands out at this point in time. While he failed to produce in the last couple of games, he has been involved in five goals since the beginning of March (G2, A3). He is also a valid pick for bookings, as he is the most booked player in Werder's squad this season.
Probable line-ups
Werder Bremen: Zetterer, Friedl, Stark, Pieper, Agu, Stage, Lynen, Schmid, Weiser, Ducksch, Burke
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Nedeljkovic, Bitshiabu, Klostermann, Lukeba, Seiwald, Vermeeren, Simons, Baku, Openda, Sesko
Anything else catch the eye?
Playing away from home has been RB Leipzig's main weakness this season, with the Red Bulls winning just one of their last 10 away games in all competitions. And even beating Wolfsburg a few weeks ago doesn't count for much, as the Wolves have not been a threat to anyone in months.
Werder Bremen have executed the last few fixtures almost without errors, apart from the recent trip to Union Berlin (2-2). Their defence has never looked better this season. The River Islanders have conceded 56 goals in the Bundesliga this season but only three in the last six rounds.
With all this in mind, we believe Werder have a real chance of killing RB's Champions League dream and getting themselves a step closer to Europe in the process. And while the Red Bulls have produced crazy results lately, we wouldn't risk it with the goal markets. With so much at stake, this is the type of game that could end with a single goal.
This German Bundesliga match between Werder Bremen and RB Leipzig will be played on and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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