Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their advantage in the race to secure Champions League football in the Bundesliga when they play hosts Werder Bremen on Saturday at Weserstadion.
The Green-Whites beat Holstein Kiel 3-0 on March 29 and are in 12th place with 36 points, while the visitors’ tally of 48 points is five more than fifth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach following their 1-0 victory against Stuttgart last Saturday.
Match preview
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Werder Bremen were thoroughly deserving victors last weekend, preventing Holstein Kiel from registering any shots on target or from creating any big chances, while also producing two big chances of their own.
The hosts have found goals easier to come by in recent weeks given they have scored seven in their past three, more than they had scored in their prior eight.
Head coach Ole Werner oversaw a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on November 23, and they are winless in their past five meetings with the Eagles, losing three times.
Werner’s side seem to have turned their fortunes around given they have won two of their last three outings, whereas they had been beaten in their previous five.
Despite their improved form, Werder Bremen have still struggled at home having lost three consecutive matches at Weserstadion in the buildup to Saturday’s clash.
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The visitors’ victory against Stuttgart was well earned considering they produced nearly four xG, hit the woodwork on three occasions and produced 15 shots from inside the box.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s recent record in front of goal is impressive, with the club finding the back of the net eight times in their last three games, though they failed to keep a clean sheet in the 11 matches prior to their win against Stuttgart.
Boss Dino Toppmoller will know that only six points separate his team from seventh-placed Freiburg, but his side could also qualify for the Champions League should they win the Europa League, with the first leg of their quarter-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur taking place on Thursday.
The Eagles come into Saturday’s matchup on the back of three consecutive victories, winning by a cumulative score of 8-2, though they have lost three and won two of their past five in the league.
While Eintracht Frankfurt have emerged victorious in their last two fixtures on the road, they did lose five, draw two and win one of their previous eight away from home.
Team News
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Werder Bremen’s squad is relatively healthy, but centre-backs Anthony Jung and Milos Veljkovic are not scheduled to return until May and late April respectively.
However, regulars Niklas Stark, Marco Friedl and Amos Pieper are all available for selection, and they may play behind midfielders Jens Stage, Senne Lynen and Romano Schmid.
Wing-backs Felix Agu and Mitchell Weiser will be tasked with supporting strikers Marvin Ducksch and Oliver Burke.
Eintracht Frankfurt have a contrastingly larger injury list, with forwards Elye Wahi, Eric Ebimbe, Igor Matanovic and Ansgar Knauff all sidelined.
Expect striker Hugo Ekitike to be supported by Nnamdi Collins, Mario Gotze and Jean-Matteo Bahoya in attack.
Given midfielder Can Uzun is likely to miss a few more days of action due to illness, there is no reason to suggest that Hugo Larsson will not be partnered by Tuta.
Goakeeper Kevin Trapp is also absent and that means Kaua Santos is certain to continue behind centre-backs Robin Koch and Arthur Theate.
Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Zetterer; Stark, Friedl, Pieper; Weiser, Stage, Lynen, Schmid, Agu; Ducksch, Burke
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Tuta, Larsson; Collins, Gotze, Bahoya; Ekitike
We say: Werder Bremen 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen are both in strong goalscoring form, and it would be surprising if either side kept a clean sheet.
The Eagles may not be able to play as intensely as they would like to considering their Europa League match on Thursday is on the horizon, and they could be held to a stalemate on Saturday.
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